​Land development for large residential subdivision projects with multiple sections can be difficult to manage in terms of sediment and erosion control. It is logistically challenging to stay on top of sediment control when there are so many moving parts and deadlines that need to be met to move on to the next step of development. For example, a delay in utility installation can set the whole project back. But you can stay ahead of the game to stay compliant with sediment and erosion control using construction sequencing and a phased approach. 

Proper planning is key. How can you begin grading a future section before knowing what the improvement plans will look like? Those future areas may need to be re-graded a second time when the improvement plans are developed, wasting time and money. No more than 50% of the overall project should be bare at any one time (Ohio EPA). The best way to achieve this is to have a phased approach. Limit site development and grading to one section at a time. Leave future sections undisturbed and protected by vegetation. This way, erosion is minimized, and sediment controls can be more effective and easier to maintain, protecting downstream neighbors, wetlands and streams.

Construction Sequencing and Phasing.
One thing we look for during a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) review, is if there is a phased construction sequence that looks something like this:
1. Installation of sediment and erosion controls prior to any upslope disturbance. In this stage, perimeter controls like silt fence or a mulch filter berm are essential. A gravel construction entrance of #2 gravel is also a must-have to prevent sediment track-out.
2. Tree clearing and preservation. Try to keep some of those mature trees. It will help you sell lots (a lot of lots!) and improve property values after all! Make sure to install orange fencing to keep construction vehicles away from trees and their root zones. Check out this Ohio EPA’s guidance on tree preservation here. Remember this saying with trees: “as above so below”. Expect the root system to mirror the size of the tree canopy so you don’t disturb the roots and kill that beautiful tree.
3. Grading. The sediment basin must be the first thing installed prior to any upslope disturbance to be able to accept sediment runoff from those upslope areas.  Don’t forget the floatable skimmer device! Learn more about sediment basins and skimmers here.
4. Roads, utilities, construction. During the construction phase, it is important to have lot controls in place to contain sediment on the lots. Curb filter socks and gravel entrances will help prevent track-out onto roads or running off into streams. Routine street sweeping throughout the subdivision’s internal roads will be required, at least once a week or more if needed. If the lot controls are working well, you might reduce street sweeping.

5. Permanent Stabilization. Once construction is complete and areas are at final grade, it’s time for permanent stabilization. Be sure to re-incorporate that stockpiled topsoil back into the yards to improve stabilization and infiltration. That hard, compacted clay will surely put a damper on a gardener’s plans! Refer to Rainwater & Land Development Manual for more on stabilization techniques.
6. Walkthroughs and As-Built survey. Once the project is complete and stabilized with grass, schedule your final walkthrough to get any bond money back (provided the roads and sidewalks don’t need repaired). Remove any temporary sediment and erosion control measures like silt fence, inlet protection, remove the skimmer from the basin and convert the outlet structure to the post-construction water quality orifice design. Complete an as-built survey and send to the engineer of record of that municipality for review against the approved design.

Permitting
Any project that disturbs over one acre as part of a common plan of development needs an Earth Disturbing Permit. It’s always preferable and more manageable to break a large project into multiple phases. This also makes sense economically. Sometimes we will see an entire subdivision project of 100 acres or more cleared and graded up front. You have your equipment on site now, why not grade it all at the same time right? Wrong. This approach makes it very challenging and costly to maintain sediment and erosion controls as years go by until lots are sold and homes are built. Consider the possibility of an economic downturn or another 2008 housing crash. What if you spent a lot of money developing all this land up front, but are you having trouble selling the lots you developed and getting that return on investment? Don’t get phased out, phase your development! Learn more about minimizing your phased disturbance here.

In conclusion, you can phase your development by having proper planning, construction sequencing and grading one section at a time. It may save you time and money and can make sediment and erosion control easier and more effective. But don’t let it phase you too much! We are here to help! Reach out to Warren County Soil & Water Urban Team for any questions regarding permitting or sediment and erosion control guidance at 513-695-1337.
For more guidance and technical specifications, refer to Ohio EPA’s Rainwater & Land Development Manual.
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By Justin Bedocs, Urban Specialist

Stormwater can create many challenges to the construction world including issues with ponding and flooding water. Water flows downhill to low-lying areas, and if it gets to the low lying areas, it will likely stay there for a long period of time. If that low lying area is in a construction zone, then the water will likely be pumped out towards a nearby stream or anything else that may be downhill. Pumping the water from areas that have exposed sediment can potentially be a big problem because the sediment -laden water will be transferred off-site and can clog up the waterways downstream. In this month’s article in the Development Digest, we will dive into a best management practice (BMP) that we all can use to effectively pump water away from the site while also ensuring that all the sediment does not leave with it.
 
Dewatering is a common practice used during projects if ponding water hinders the ability for a crew to work. It is important to use the right BMPs during this removal process to ensure that water is moved offsite, and sediment is kept onsite. Dewatering bags are one of the most common BMPs used to achieve the goal of removing the water without letting the sediment go with it. Dewatering bags are simple devices that use pipes/hoses to move water out of an area and into a bag. In the bag, the sediment in the water can settle to the bottom, and water is able to flow out the other end of the bag cleaner than it came in.
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Dewatering bags do require maintenance.  Over time, the bags will fill up with sediment that has filtered out. If the bag becomes full of sediment, water will not be able to enter the bag. Suspended solids in the water will flow off-site into the nearby waterway, and because of this the bags need to be replaced when full. Dewatering bags should ideally be placed on a flat surface and combined with some other filtration method such as a dense vegetation buffer for the bag outlet. When used properly, dewatering bags can be a very useful tool to dewater from a site and can be especially effective when using other BMPs alongside the bags.

Another commonly used BMP when removing water from a certain area is a sediment trap. A sediment trap basically serves the purpose of a stormwater basin, except the water is not meant to leave the pit that has been dug out. As a result of this, sediment can settle downwards and get out of the water column. This dewatering BMP is most feasible when a future stormwater basin is already planned to be at that location. Water can be pumped out of desired areas of a site and into the sediment trap that has been created to hold the water.

A sediment trap should be designed to hold all the pumped water for a minimum of 24 hours to allow sediment to settle out (per Ohio Rainwater and Land Development Manual). The size of the sediment trap should be calculated during the design phase of a project, and once the project has begun and the area cleared of trees and vegetation, the sediment trap should be constructed immediately. This BMP does not need much maintenance during the project. However, if the sediment trap is meant to be converted into a stormwater basin, the excess sediment will need to be removed, and the permanent basin reconstructed.

Sediment and erosion control is a required practice for all projects over 1 acre here in Warren County. It makes sense to use some sort of sediment control BMP when dewatering a site to efficiently and safely move water out of an area, while ensuring the sediment is not leaving with the water. Sediment is one of the largest pollutants to the natural water bodies here in Ohio. Using erosion control BMPs like the dewatering bags and sediment traps listed above can go a long way to preventing this pollutant from continuing to get into and affect the rivers and streams that flow through our back yards!
 
References:
Rainwater and Land Development Manual: https://epa.ohio.gov/divisions-and-offices/surface-water/guides-manuals/rainwater-and-land-development

Article Written by Seth Byerly, District Technician

​Keep your projects running smoothly with proper onsite waste management!

Fuel, solid waste, wash water, sanitary waste, and other toxic or hazardous materials are found on most construction sites. Storage, handling, and disposal of potential pollutants should be spelled out in the construction site’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3). Keeping chemical waste from being spilled depends heavily on construction personnel and their work practices. Employee training, signage, and other awareness tools are the first step to managing pollutants.
Sediment and erosion controls will prevent some pollutants from leaving the site, however, pollutants can be carried in solution or as surface films on runoff water that will pass through most sediment and erosion controls. Other ways that construction waste can end up in the environment include dumping, burying of waste, pouring waste chemicals down a storm drain, or disposing of them with construction debris. Avoid these disposal practices.
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1. Training for construction personnel should provide disposal and handling guidelines for waste including the following do’s and don’ts.

2. Containers should be provided for the proper collection of all waste materials, petroleum products and hazardous materials.
3. No construction related waste materials are to be buried on-site.
4. Mixing, pumping, or transferring of chemicals must be performed in and area away from any watercourse, ditch or storm drain.
Fuels often contain cancer causing compounds including benzene and toluene. They can also be toxic to aquatic life. You can do your part to keep chemical wastes out of the environment by following some simple practices.
5. Equipment fueling and maintenance will be performed away from watercourses, ditches and storm drains.
6. Concrete washout will be collected and not allowed to go into streams, ditches or storm drains.
7. Spills need to be absorbed with sawdust or kitty litter and disposed of at a licensed sanitary landfill. Many construction chemicals require special handling. Spills of petroleum products exceeding 25 gallons need to be reported to Ohio EPA, the local fire department and the Local Emergency Planning Committee. All spills which contact waters of the state must be reported to Ohio EPA. The spill report phone number is 1 (800) 282-9378.
8. If substances such as oil, diesel, hydraulic fluid, or antifreeze are spilled or released onto the soil, the impacted soil should be dug up and disposed of at licensed sanitary landfill or other approved petroleum contaminated soil remediation facility.
9. No materials containing rubber, grease, asphalt, or petroleum products may be burned.

Even with the best training programs and best practices in place, accidents will occur. Pre-planning will make your site more prepared when a spill does happen. Check equipment and fueling stations for proper operation and potential leaks so you can address maintenance concerns before they become a big problem. Have access to spill cleanup supplies like absorbents, boom, and a list of cleanup contractors that can respond in an emergency.

One last consideration is worker safety. Be familiar with the protective equipment needed when handling material. Also know when the job will require an outside cleanup contractor.
Following the best practices regarding onsite waste management will help keep your project going and will help prevent costly cleanups.

References:
1. Rainwater and Land Development Manual (Chapter 4.1), Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. May 2025. Web link for this publication is available at: https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/epa.ohio.gov/Portals/35/storm/technical_assistance/4.1_Waste_Mgmt.pdf

Article written by Travis Luncan, Urban Technician

Ponds and stormwater basins can be great resources to have on a property, and they can provide great benefits for the surrounding area. Regular ponds can be a nice attractive feature for a home landscape and can provide a place for recreation. Stormwater basins act as a water quality feature in areas such as subdivisions by filtering out any pollutants and protecting nearby streams as a result. There are two types of stormwater basins, wet ponds (retention basins, always have water) and dry basins (detention basins, normally bowl-shaped depressions of grass that hold water for a few days after it rains). In this month’s article in the Development Digest, we will dive into a service that we at Warren County SWCD offer to measure the depth of ponds to ensure they have the correct depth needed to function properly. This service is one we offer for all types of ponds; however, we will specifically be looking at newly constructed stormwater retention basins here.
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Having the correct depth is very important when designing a stormwater basin. If a basin is designed incorrectly and is too shallow, it may not provide enough storage for incoming water which defeats the purpose of the basin and may have negative effects downstream. Even with a correctly designed basin, the basin may fill up with sediment during construction, and if that sediment is not removed, this will affect the water depth, and as mentioned above, decrease the storage. During construction, sediment basins need the sediment removed once it reaches ½ of the sediment storage zone and before project completion as well. It is important to measure the depth of the water in a stormwater basin to ensure it is the correct depth and sediment has not filled in the bottom. Here at Warren County SWCD, we can assist with getting an estimate of the depth by providing a free service using a depth finder.

Depth finders are commonly found in the realm of fishing and used by fisherman to get an accurate depth of the water column for fishing purposes. We have found out that we can use a simple depth finder to find the depths of ponds and basins to assess the health of that water feature. We will come out to any pond or stormwater basin per request and use our depth finder to give a good estimate on how deep the pond/basin is. We provide this service because it is important to keep basins healthy and keep the designed capacity to make sure the basin still has its storage and water quality abilities working. Any construction project that is nearing the end and has a stormwater pond should be checked for water depth before being turned over to the next owner. Here at WCSWCD, we would be happy to come out and provide a free depth check using our depth finder.

We also provide this service to HOAs, free of charge, to determine if it is time for the costly dredging project you may be considering. If you are having excessive algae blooms and fish kills in your retention pond, it might be an indicator of a shallow water column. Ohio Department of Natural Resources recommends a pond with a minimum water column depth of 6-8 feet deep to provide a healthy habitat for fish.

It can be costly to dredge a pond of muck that accumulates naturally over time, A rough estimate of when this is needed is 10-20 years after completion or from its last dredging. It can easily cost up to $100,000 or more to completely dredge a large retention pond, so you want to be sure if it is time to do so. We are happy to come out and collect some rough estimates of pond depth and health and we can also provide some contacts for pond maintenance and dredging contractors to point you in the right direction.
 
If you have general pond/basin questions or have questions about our depth finder or want to schedule a site visit with us, please give us a call at (513) 695-1337.
 
Article written by Seth Byerly, Urban/Agricultural Technician
 

​Don’t let stormwater dig a hole you can’t get out of!

​Fast moving water pouring out of a pipe can quicky lead to erosion. Planning ahead and utilizing rock outlet protection can save future maintenance headaches. In this month’s article we will see where this practice is useful, consider design, and review maintenance considerations. Let’s start by identifying where the practice is helpful.
Rock outlet protection can be useful where discharge velocities from a channel, storm drain, or culvert are high enough to cause erosion. The practice can be applied for the following outlet types:

​For design of the rock outlet protection, assume the most severe soil and vegetation cover conditions. The size of the watershed and topography should also be given serious consideration. Rock outlet protection is not intended for slopes greater than 10% or at the top of cut or fill slopes.
Caution should be used if flow rates out of the discharge pipe will exceed 100 cubic feet per second (cfs) for a 10-yr.-fequency storm. Utilize the NRCS Technical Release 55 (TR 55) or other suitable method to determine peak rate of runoff. The outlet protection needs to be stable for the velocity of flow expected from a 10-year frequency storm event. While level spreaders are helpful in conjunction with outlet protections, we will focus on the design of the rock outlet. The width of the outlet should be the width of the headwall or 4 feet wider than the pipe diameter (2 feet on each side of the pipe). The elevation of the downstream end of the outlet protection needs to be equal to the elevation of the receiving stream. The necessary length of the outlet protection and the rock size can be determined from the following figure. 

Larger diameter pipes will require larger rock diameter, a greater thickness for the rock layer, and additional length for the rock channel. The rock riprap needs to be well graded and be placed to obtain a solid and compact layer. Filter or granular bedding is needed beneath all riprap to prevent underlying soil from eroding. Larger size riprap will likely require a thicker bedding layer or 2 different sizes of bedding. Geotextile use can help prevent piping of soil. Care should be taken to properly anchor the geotextile. A properly designed and installed rock outlet protection will help to reduce future maintenance needs.
 
Maintenance will help to protect the riprap, vegetation cover, and associated structural components. The following are key to proper maintenance.

• Determine a responsible party to inspect and maintain the outlet protection.
• Missing riprap should be replaced as soon as possible.
• Protect the outlet from damage by equipment and traffic.
• Fertilize and mow area vegetation to keep a healthy cover.
• Seed and mulch any bare areas that develop.
• Remove sediment and debris.

 
If properly designed, installed, and maintained the rock channel outlet protection should function for decades to come. Lack of proper outlet protection will require more extensive and costly repairs in the long run. Feel free to reach out to our office at (513) 695-1337 if you have any questions regarding rock outlet protection.
References

1. Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (TR-55), United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. June 1986. Web link for this publication is available at:

https://nationalstormwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Urban-Hydrology-for-Small-Watersheds-TR-55.pdf

1. Rainwater and Land Development Manual (Chapter 6.1), Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. May 2025. Web link for this publication is available at: https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/epa.ohio.gov/Portals/35/storm/technical_assistance/6.1_Outlet_Stablization.pdf

Article by Travis Luncan, Urban Technician

Water! Water is all over the place, and it moves wherever it wants. Water has the ability to cause major problems at high velocity during certain times such as high rain events that cause flooding. Erosion is an unfortunate result of the damage that moving water can cause. Erosion can be especially present on construction sites due to the exposed sediment and piles of material, and so it is important to know the different types of erosion and the best management practices that can be used to prevent sediment from eroding off site and into the waters of the state. In this month’s Development Digest, we dive into the most common types of erosion found on construction sites.
Generally, there are 4 common forms of erosion that are caused by the movement of water on exposed sediment on construction sites. These 4 forms are splash erosion, sheet erosion, rill erosion, and gully erosion.

• Splash erosion: Splash erosion is very simple and straight forward. Anytime a raindrop hits the ground, specifically exposed sediment, it can hit the sediment and loosen up the soil particles. This is an issue because when the soil particles get loosened, flowing water can easily carry them on downstream. Splash erosion is the first step in the process that if unchecked can lead to very large and costly amounts of erosion.
• Sheet erosion: Sheet erosion is defined as the uppermost layer of the soil being gradually removed do to some environmental factor. The most common cause for sheet erosion on construction sites is rainfall. Rain hits the bare soil loosening up the soil particles and the water then carries those particles off site through runoff.
• Rill erosion: Rill erosion is similar to sheet erosion; however, the erosion is a little more defined into smaller channels. In this type of erosion, the entire surface of the soil is not necessarily being eroded away because the water is forming into small paths and eroding sediment from those concentrated areas. Rill erosion can lead to much worse erosion if left unfixed.
• Gully erosion: Finally, the last type of erosion is the biggest and most easily seen type of erosion. Gully erosion forms from all of those little rills that have been carved into the ground by the water. Eventually, all of those rills meet somewhere and all of the water from the rills get combined into one big channel. This channel is called a gully. A gully has a higher velocity than rill erosion due to the greater amount of water flowing through, and because of this, a gully can be, and in most cases is, the deepest type of erosion. In general, gully erosion can be about 6-12 inches minimum, and at most can be many feet deep depending on the underlying soil and the different soil layers. Once gully erosion starts, it can get much bigger and bigger, and if left untouched and can cause damage to the landscape and anything that could be affected by the land being lost to flowing water.
  

During construction, it is very important to utilize the BMPs (best management practices) available to all of us to prevent erosion from happening. The most important practice available is stabilization. Whether it be through phased grading to minimize disturbance, keeping straw covering the ground during temporary pauses in work, or immediate stabilization of a site at final grade, getting exposed sediment covered up and stabilized is the best thing we can do to minimize the risk of erosion. There are also other practices that we can use if stabilization is not an option due to ongoing construction. BMPs such as silt fence, mulch berm, and filter sock are great for the perimeter of a site and can be used to slow down water and prevent any eroded sediment from moving further downhill and causing more damage. Check dams consisting of rock are great in areas of concentrated flow to slow down the velocity of water and prevent erosion. Overall, limiting the area of disturbed soil on a site can go a long way to limit the amount of erosion that may occur. Being mindful and aware of the work that we do to the land, and what effects it might have, is important. The less care we have about sediment and erosion control, the more damage erosion can do to the land and to the water, so hopefully by now having a basic understanding of the types of erosion out there, we can do our part as humans to protect the soil and keep it in place.

Have questions about sediment and erosion control, or just about erosion in general? Please contact our office and we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have!
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Article written by Urban/Ag Technician Seth Byerly

Rainwater rolls off the landscape as a trickle, stream, or river. For a light rain event the drainage channel may not matter that much. For a moderate or heavy rain events the design and condition of the drainage channel becomes more critical. A grass swale is one of the stormwater conveyance methods identified in Ohio EPA’s Rainwater Land Development Manual. In this article we will look at good design, stabilization and maintenance of grass lined swales. Many drainage assistance calls we go on involve a swale. Common issues we receive calls on are erosion in the swale, overflow of the swale, and modification/blocking of the swale. Most of these issues are preventable with proper design, building, maintenance of the swale and education of residents/HOA’s.

Design starts with looking at runoff. The area drained, soil types, land use, topography and historic rainfall data all play a role in determining the swale size and how it is stabilized. A swale should be designed to carry the peak rate of runoff from a 10-year flood before it overtops.  If the swale is designated as a Flood Route, it must be designed to handle a 100-year rain event. While it would be well beyond the scope of this article to go through all of the calculations, NRCS Technical Release 55 (TR 55) is one suitable method to determine peak rate or runoff. Grassed swales designed to protect residences and businesses need to have out of bank capacity to carry the peak rate of runoff before water can flow inside adjacent residences or businesses.

Shapes of drainage swales can be parabolic or trapezoidal. The parabolic channel closely approximates natural flow conditions, but design and construction are more complex. Trapezoidal channels are preferred where there will be a large quantity of water or high flow rates. Side slopes that are 3:1 or flatter are recommended.

Next to consider is the channel’s stabilization and resistance to erosion:
Clay soils, which are common in Warren County, offer moderate protection from erosion but good protection once vegetation is established. Sod or seed and matting are preferred to establish vegetation. The grassed swale should be vegetated as soon as possible after reaching final grade. Waiting makes it more difficult to get good stabilization. Delays in stabilizing the slopes will also cause maintenance issues that will later need fixed. Stabilize upslope areas to prevent sediment from washing down and filling in the swale.

Check dams may be incorporated to decrease water flowrate, to reduce erosion, and to allow grass to establish. The rock check dam should be lower in the center so that water does not flow around and erode the edges of the swale. Check dams are often temporary measures. It is good to plan to determine when the check dam will be removed.

For sites with prolonged flows, a high-water table or seepage problems; a subsurface drain or rock-lined waterway may be incorporated. Grassed swales should also have a stable outlet with adequate capacity to prevent ponding or flooding damage.

Beyond design and construction of the swale, owners should consider ongoing maintenance. Most important would be to ensure that residents don’t block, modify or build in the swale. Grass growth should be monitored to insure a vigorous stand of grass. Protect the swale from compaction or damage due to equipment or traffic. Fix damaged areas immediately. With good design maintenance and stabilization, a swale will protect property and prevent future maintenance needs.
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References:

1. Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds (TR-55), United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. June 1986. Web link for this publication is available at:

https://nationalstormwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Urban-Hydrology-for-Small-Watersheds-TR-55.pdf
   2. Rainwater and Land Development Manual (Chapter 6.7), Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. May 2025. Web link for this publication is available at: https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/epa.ohio.gov/Portals/35/storm/technical_assistance/6.7_Open_Channels.pdf

Contaminated water that runs into natural streams and river can be very harmful for the biodiversity of an ecosystem and all of the plants and animals in it. There are many different sources and ways that water can become contaminated, and one specific way is from dumpsters, and the waste in those dumpsters. Many commercial dumpsters have a plastic lid that flips up and down to cover the waste. However, a lid is not necessarily as commonly seen on construction site dumpsters. In this month’s BMP Blast, we will discuss the importance of covers on construction site dumpsters.
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All construction sites have some sort of dumpster on the site to dispose waste. This waste can range anywhere from crushed concrete, paint cans, oil containers, old batteries, whatever people throw in there. Contained in a dumpster setting, this waste can not cause much harm to the environment around it. However, if water finds its way into the dumpster, the water is able to wash contaminates off of the waste and out of the dumpster. Additionally, when the dumpster gets picked up and removed, the driver will not want to haul away something filled with water, so the water may be dumped out. All of that water being dumped could contain chemicals, and all of the water and chemicals will reach the nearby stream all at the same time, and this could be very harmful. There is a simple solution to prevent this type of pollution from happening; dumpster covers.

Dumpster covers are a simple best management practice that can be put on top of a dumpster to ensure unwanted rain doesn’t seep into the dumpster and washout any chemicals. Covers are fairly low cost, easy to manage, and provide a very large benefit that prevents any type of mess or disaster for the environment and ecosystems. We realize that it is convenient to have an open dumpster that waste can be thrown into at any time of the day, and a cover may be annoying to open every single time something needs to be disposed of. A simple solution would be to ensure that the cover is on only at the end of each workday and before any rain event starts. The dumpster can remain uncovered during the day, and covered at night and during rain, and this would provide an effective cover to contain pollutants. By using this simple BMP on construction site dumpsters, we can ensure that the project stays in compliance with regulations, and we can ensure the site doesn’t contribute any harmful pollutants to the neighboring environment.
 
If you have any questions regarding dumpster covers, or any other construction site BMP, please feel free to reach out to our office at (513) 695-1337. 

~Article by Seth Byerly, Urban Technician

This month I was on site at Arbors at Grandin Road for my routine monthly inspection. I noticed how consistently they are on top of their sediment and erosion controls. Stabilizing areas early on is the number one Best Management Practice to prevent erosion in the first place by preventing sediment from washing downstream. The sediment basin was also stabilized early on, as soon as it was at final grade. This helps prevent rill erosion on the banks, for rill! This is super important because once erosion occurs and sediment washes into the basin, it is very difficult to remove the fine-grained sediment from the water column. The skimmer device cannot filter all of it out. So, stopping erosion before it happens is the way to go.

From the design and SWPPP review phase, to grading, implementation of sediment & erosion controls and now into the home building phase, Arbors at Grandin Road has done their part for sediment and erosion control. It’s been great to work with everyone involved with this project and see it come together. Future phases will be underway soon and I look forward to seeing it all come together while making sure sediment is contained on site as much as possible.

So, this month we are giving a shout-out to the Arbors at Grandin Road Project for a job well done. From the engineers to the developers and builders, it takes everyone to stay compliant with sediment and erosion controls. Arbor Homes agrees, stating that it is important to protect the water as well as to maintain a tidy construction site while selling homes to potential buyers. So good work and thanks to everyone involved with this project!

-Justin Bedocs, Urban Specialist