Tips to Help With Erosion Control on a Slope

If you are developing a sloped piece of land, you have to pay special attention to erosion control. When rain hits a slope, it rushes down it, gathering speed as it gets closer to the bottom of the slope. In the process, it wipes away a lot of the soil in the area.

This can lead to unwanted soil deposits, ruined landscaping or other issues. To prevent this, you need to think about erosion and sediment control. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Put in Creeping Plants

In general, plants put down roots which help to prevent the soil from washing away, but on a slope, creeping plants can be even more useful. These plants such as ivy provide a lot of ground cover.

You put in one plant, and then, as suggested by the name, the rest of the plant creeps over the area. That holds the soil together and helps prevent it from washing away.

Focus on Drought Resistant Plants Near the Top

You may want to put larger plants in between the creeping plants. When choosing your plants, remember that the water is going to rush down the hill relatively quickly even if you have foliage in place—basically, the plants hold the dirt and prevent erosion, but they don't stop the water from going down the hill.

Because of that, you may want to put drought-resistant plants near the top of the slope, and at the same time, you may want to put water-loving plants at the bottom of the hill.

Reduce the Slope

If you're dealing with a really extreme slope, you may want to take steps to reduce the angle. This needs to be done before you put in the plants. Basically, you need to move some of the dirt to another area or add extra dirt to make the slope more gradual.

Consider Tiers

Rather than reducing the slope, you may just want to get rid of it all together and put in tiered gardens. This involves putting in a number of retaining walls followed by flat areas. Then, when the rain falls, it should not erode any of the surrounding lands. Instead, it should just hit each individual tier as if that is a flat area.

Dealing with erosion control can be challenging, and to help you get more ideas, you may want to work with a professional. Contact a sediment and erosion control specialist to help you.

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