The Silt Fence: Keeping Sediment Where It Belongs

摘要: Managing stormwater to protect the nation’s waters is a common challenge of highway construction sites. Most water quality problems in lakes and rivers are the result, in part, of stormwater runoff. Sediment can have negative consequences on downstream receiving water bodies, including impacts on water clarity, disruptions to aquatic ecosystems, and repercussions on human, animal, and plant health. Installing a silt fence, also known as a sediment fence, on construction sites is a standard practice used for controlling runoff and mitigating the effects construction site runoff has on the surrounding environment, including lakes, streams, and habitats. This article discusses a recent study that the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) sponsored with the Auburn University–Stormwater Research Facility (AU-SRF) to evaluate the installation effectiveness of their standard silt fence detail. AU-SRF is one of the university stormwater research facilities that partner with state departments of transportation and regional, local, and tribal transportation agencies and assist with research, product evaluation, nonproprietary innovations, and first-hand training to facilitate innovative and practical solutions for stormwater management.