United States Department of Agriculture Association of Illinois Natural Resources Soil and Water Conservation Service Conservation Districts Urban Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Conservation Practices for Protecting and Enhancing Soil and Water Resources in Growing and Changing Communities March 2008 Urban Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Conservation Practices for Protecting and Enhancing Soil and Water Resources Introduction What’s inside Land use change is a fact of life for many communities in Illinois. From cities to suburbs to rural villages, farmland Page Topic is being developed to accommodate a population that wants larger homes, larger lots and more shopping, 2 Water Quality Regulations for Illinois recreation, schools and roads. 3 What is Soil Erosion and What is Sediment? 4 How to Control Erosion? These land use changes are intensifying pressure on the 5 Grading Strategies and Dust Control 6 Temporary/Permanent Vegetation and Mulching natural environment. When land is under construction, 7 Rolled Erosion Control Products (RECPs) and soil erosion can be significant – often many times greater Compost Blanket than on land used for agriculture. The resulting sediment 8 PAM* Application for Erosion Control and Outlet damages surface water resources (including community Protection water supplies), obstructs roads and degrades wildlife 9 How to Control Sediment? habitat. 10 Silt Barriers/Filters and Stabilized Construction Entrance Once developed, the land has more roofs, roads, parking 11 Inlet Protection and Sediment Basin/Trap lots, and compacted turf. Impervious surfaces like these 12 PAM* Application for Sediment Control and Filter send more runoff across landscapes, and consequently, Strips the risk of flooding is increased. Urban runoff impairs 13 Where to go for help and Additional Information water quality in streams, lakes and wetlands by delivering *PAM = polyacrylamide (water-soluble anionic) sediment, nutrients, hydrocarbons and other pollutants. Ground water recharge is also reduced by impervious surfaces. This brochure provides information about specific strategies for addressing soil erosion and sediment control on construction sites and on land that is already developed. It will help local decision-makers meet the changing land use needs of communities without compromising the need for clean and abundant water, protection from flooding, recreation amenities, and preserving wildlife habitat. Developers, planners, engineers, local units of government, and interested citizens will find this brochure helpful for understanding: • Soil erosion and sedimentation processes and issues, • Illinois water quality laws and regulations related to erosion and sedimentation, Aerial photo with contour lines showing lakes and wetlands • Specific practices that protect local natural that will need protection if adjacent upland areas are resources by controlling soil erosion and disturbed for future development. sedimentation. For each practice, this guide will: • Provide a description, For more information on practice selection, design, • List design techniques for implementation, implementation and maintenance, refer to the most current • Indicate challenges or limitations that may limit edition of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s effectiveness, “Illinois Urban Manual: A Technical Manual Designed for • Illustrate with photos. Urban Ecosystem Protection and Enhancement.” (This list of practices is not all inclusive and may not work for every situation. Evaluation of each situation must be made before deciding on a specific practice.) 1 Why be concerned? Urban runoff and construction Nonpoint Pollutants site erosion have been identified as Most common pollutants from Urban Land after Construction is significant sources of pollution for surface completed: water quality. • Nutrients Sediment deposits destroy fish • Hydrocarbons spawning areas, resulting in the loss • Pathogens of sensitive or threatened fish species; • Sediment & Road Grit adversely impact aquatic insects which • Organic Matter (e.g. lawn clippings, leaves) are at the base of the food chain; reduce • Litter channel capacity; and decrease the • Thermal Pollution (heated runoff from impervious surfaces) overall quality of lakes, streams and wetlands. Sedimentation can cause flooding; piers, pipelines, dredging, discharging or In addition, in designated require additional water treatment; pose other work in navigational waters of the urbanized areas, there are regulations safety and nuisance issues on roadways; U.S. requiring permit applications for storm and increase cost of construction and water discharges for industrial sources maintenance. Chemicals (such as Clean Water Act of 1977 (CWA) and municipal separate storm sewer some pesticides, phosphorus, as well Formerly known as the Federal Water systems (MS4’s). Communities with as toxicants and trace metals) can be Pollution Control Act, this statute was greater than 10,000 population (ILR40 transported with sediment to receiving enacted to address the problem of water permit) are required to implement six waters where they cause additional quality by reducing the discharge of minimum control measures to improve damage to aquatic ecosystems. pollutants into lakes, rivers, streams and the quality of storm water runoff. The And lastly, it is a Federal, state and wetlands. The CWA established a system control measures include the following: sometimes local law to place good soil of water quality standards, discharge • Storm water runoff control from erosion and sediment control practices limitations and permits. construction sites. on construction sites. In Illinois, US-EPA has delegated • Post-construction storm water responsibility for Section 401 and 402 to management for developments. the Illinois EPA. Prior to the issuance of • Detection and elimination of illicit Nonpoint Pollutants either a Section 402 or 404 permit, you discharges to storm sewer systems. Most common pollutants from must obtain a Section 401 certification. • Public education and outreach construction sites: This states that any discharge complies regarding storm water runoff • Sediment with all applicable effluent limitations impacts. • Oil & Greases and water quality standards in Illinois. • Public involvement in storm water • Concrete Truck Washout See the following for each Section runoff related issues. • Construction Debris explanation. • Good housekeeping procedures and • Construction Chemicals practices. Section 401-Water Quality Water Quality Regulations Certification Section 404-Dredge or Fill (What the Law Requires) You must receive the Section Permitting You should be aware that the US Army 401 certification before applying for a Establishes a permit program to Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the US federal permit for any work, which may regulate the discharge of dredged or Environmental Protection Agency (US- result in a discharge to waters of the fill material into waters of the U.S., EPA) are the two federal agencies that U.S., to ensure that actions would not including some wetlands. This section regulate water quality. Both agencies violate Illinois’ water quality standards. of the CWA is administered by the have authority under Section 404 of the Corps. Clean Water Act (CWA), but only the Section 402 – National Pollutant Corps has the authority under Section 10 Discharge Elimination System Ordinances in Illinois of the Rivers and Harbors Act. A review (NPDES) Check to see if your county or by other federal and state agencies, as NPDES requires that a Storm municipality has implemented ordinances well as public notification, is provided Water Pollution Prevention Plan or other enforcement mechanisms prior to the issuance or denial of permit. (SWPPP), including a soil erosion and that require water quality and quantity sediment control plan, be developed issues be addressed during the land Section 10 – Rivers and Harbors Act for all construction activity projects that development process. Ordinances often of 1899 (RHA) require a permit. require the implementation of both Under the RHA, the Corps regulates Current regulations require a temporary and permanent “Practices”. “all work or structures” placed in or permit for ALL construction activities in The development of a soil erosion affecting the navigational waters of the Illinois (ILR10 permit) that disturb one and sediment control plan prior to the U.S. You are required to get a permit (1) acre or more, or smaller projects onset of construction is also often a from the Corps for marinas, bulkheads, that are part of a larger common plan requirement of these ordinances. bank stabilization, shoreline protection, of development or sale. 2 What is Soil Erosion? Erosion is a three-step process involving the detachment, transport and deposition of soil particles. There are many kinds of erosion. Sheet and rill erosion, gully erosion, streambank/bed erosion and wind erosion are the primary concerns. Each of these types of erosion involves the detachment and transport of soil and downstream/downwind deposition of sediment. What is Sediment? Sediment is the result of erosion. Once soil particles have detached from the surface, are transported from their site of origin and have come to rest on other ground surfaces or in lakes, ponds, watercourses, or wetlands, they are referred to as sediment. The process of soil particles being transported and deposited is known as sedimentation. Types of Erosion Mechanism for Sheet & Rill Erosion: Gully Erosion: Rill Streambank and Wind