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YOU ARE HERE: www.marionswcd.org >
erosion >
Erosion Control &
Sediment Control
Can Sediment Pollute?
Sediment is
the #1 pollutant (by volume) in Indiana waterways! Different from a
smokestack or sewer pipe (point source pollution), sediment is usually
deposited over a wide area, which is why it is known as a non-point source
pollutant. Learn more about non-point
source pollution (NPS) by checking out the Environmental
Protection Agency’s NPS web pages at:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/ . NPS can be addressed with the
use of Best Management Practices (BMPs), which include silt fences around
the perimeter of the land-disturbing activity, leaving a few feet of
vegetation along the outside edge of the site for a "filter strip" or
seeding the area immediately.
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Once installed, silt fences must be maintained |
This runoff water is murky grey/brown because it carries
sediment |
Severe erosion requires "hard" or stone BMPs. |
Technical
Services
Without
proper erosion control prior and during earth-moving, off-site
sedimentation can occur. If you need help with an erosion problem,
schedule an appointment with our erosion/drainage expert, Glenn Lange
(317-786-1776).
We offer these
services:
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Best Land Management
Practice (BMP) assistance
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Conservation
planning
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Consultation for
builders and developers & landowners
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Erosion control
workshops/training
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Erosion & Sediment
Rule 5
Control Plan compliance
& inspections
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Site assistance on
demonstration projects
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Stream bank
stabilization advice
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Streamside buffer
Installation Information
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Urban erosion
control
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Vegetative options for
stormwater management
Erosion Control & Stormwater
Runoff Associated with Construction Activities (Rule 5)
Preconstruction Assistance
Project planners should send the Marion County Soils and Water
Conservation District (SWCD) a preliminary plat.
Soils information for a development site can be useful at this time to
help identify soil conditions and limiting factors for the site. This
information is available in two ways- 1. The Marion County SWCD can
provide soils information to assist with proper planning. Our office will
review the Soil Survey of Marion County and provide developers and their
representatives with information on soils found within the project area if
requested. Or 2. Developers and their representatives can obtain their
own appropriate soils information for their sites by using the
Web Soil Survey (WSS) is on the internet at:
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/ .
The
site has three basic steps, which
make WSS a simple yet powerful way to access and analyze soil data. The
steps are “Define”, “View”, and “Explore”. In the “Define” step the user
selects the Area of Interest (AOI) on an appropriate map that identifies
their development site location. The AOI tab on the website allows
the user to define that area. Users can define an area by zooming in on a
map and drawing a box around an area or by selecting it from a choice
list. The user must complete this step before they can go on to the next
two steps. In the “View” step, the user
clicks on the Soil Map tab to view and print a map of the soils in their
area of interest. In the “Explore” step or third step the user can click
on the “Soil Data Explorer” tab to access soil data for their area of
interest. In this step the user can determine the suitability of the
soils in an area for a particular use.
The Web Soil Survey web site has many help screens and a “Web Soil Survey-
How to use it” file in PDF format that offers help and support on using
the site. Like most new concepts, a little patience is needed to learn
the ins and outs of the system, but with a little effort most people
become masters of the site with a few brief trial runs.
Regulations, Paperwork, Reviews and Inspections as they apply to Marion
County
Indiana law and City of Indianapolis ordinances (applies to most of
Marion County) now require erosion control practices on construction
projects disturbing more than ½ acre of land. The law is called “Rule 5”
(327 IAC 15-5-1) and was developed by the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management (IDEM) to meet federal Environmental Protection
Agency clean water requirements. The City of Indianapolis also regulates
erosion control through ordinances (Chapter 561 of the Code of
Indianapolis and Marion County)
The Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) shares
responsibility for implementing "Rule 5" with IDEM and the Cities of
Indianapolis, Lawrence, and Speedway. Through the partnership among
several levels of government, construction site plans are reviewed and
approved, sites are monitored for compliance and, in certain cases,
enforcement actions are taken to keep soil and other pollutants out of our
waterways.
Construction Site Plans Reviewed/Approved
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Marion County SWCD serves the City of Lawrence and Speedway by reviewing
projects
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Marion County SWCD also reviews Indianapolis Public Right-of-Way (city
streets) projects and State Highway projects. However, the Indianapolis
Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) reviews plans for the
remainder of Marion County.
Construction Site
Erosion Control Plan Compliance Inspections
To fulfill our Rule 5 responsibility for inspections,
developers and/or builders will need to supply the Marion County SWCD
office, before moving dirt, with the following:
End of Project Inspections (Notice of Termination)
Enforcement Actions
Current
Information/Regulations/Forms Resources
Guide-
Regulations-
Forms-
Plants for Erosion Control
VegSpec is a web-based decision support system that assists land
managers in the planning and design of vegetative establishment
practices. VegSpec utilizes soil, plant, and climate data to select
plant species that are (1) site-specifically adapted, (2) suitable for
the selected practice, and (3) appropriate for the purposes and
objectives for which the planting is intended-
See the
Veg Spec Web Site .
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