Chapter 6: Erosion Control

Table of Contents

Roadside management staff unfurl an erosion control blanket in a roadside ditch.
Roadside workers apply a rolled erosion control blanket to a roadside that has been covered with hydromulch.

Controlling erosion protects water quality, maintains the structural integrity of the roadway, protects germinating native seed, and helps counties and cities comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II regulations. It is among the most important goals of an integrated roadside vegetation management (IRVM) program. Permanent vegetation is the long-term solution to eliminate erosion, but short-term erosion control is necessary to protect exposed soil while vegetation matures.