SECTIONS
Most newly developed areas lack good coverage from landscaping and ground covers and are therefore more susceptible to erosion. The following tips will help prepare these areas for flooding/ erosion.
1. KEEP WATER AWAY FROM THE AREA TO BE PROTECTED
a. For water flowing onto the property: Dig a small ditch with a hoe or shovel fairly close to the upper edge of the property. The pitch of the ditch should be nearly level to insure slow water Provide for the ditch to drain into a natural watercourse or onto street pavement or to a well vegetated area.
b. For water falling on the property (rain): Dig the same type of small ditch at the top of each steep slope. Do not allow large amounts of water to concentrate along one route. On soils, especially susceptible to erosion, an additional degree of protection can be gained by using inexpensive plastic These sheets should be overlapped like shingles and securely tied or staked down so that the majority of water does not reach the soil at all. Shrubs may be planted through the plastic by cutting a hole just large enough for planting. Where ditches are used in unstable soil, the ditch should be planted with a non-invasive groundcover or sowed with perennial grasses. Check with a local nursery knowledgeable about native plants for suggestions.
2. STRENGTHEN THE SOIL TO RESIST EROSION
a. Straw or wood chips are effective in holding the soil in place. They have the further value of increasing the organic content of the soil. Either material should be worked into the top few inches of the soil. Use a one-inch covering of chips, or less as slope and soil conditions Nitrogen fertilizer should be added.
b.Woven burlap or jute netting can be laid on the slope and tied down properly with stakes to prevent lifting by wind or Regular planting procedures can be followed before laying the burlap, since it will in no way interfere with establishing growth on the slope. The burlap decomposes eventually, but will remain long enough for grasses or plantings to become well established.
