Spray it right! Or, spray it twice...
Get your money's worth and make sure that you're getting enough hydraulic mulch sprayed.
The basics of getting this BMP installed properly (say it with me)
2,000 lbs per acre
Spray it in two directions
If you're going to take away anything from this lesson, I hope you leave with those fundamental bits of advice. Ready for more? Read on...
Hydraulic Mulch (i.e. SS-3 or EC-3 Temporary Hydraulic Mulch) is a temporary #erosion control that is sprayed onto disturbed soil. Usually, it's made with a mix of natural fibers, water, and a tackifier (a glue-like substance). It's used for providing temporary soil stabilization on disturbed slopes and soils.
When applied properly hydraulic mulch is supposed to cover the ground like a thick blanket. To apply properly, follow the manufacturer's recommendations, or default to the 2,000 lbs/acre rule. Spray before rains and give it enough time to dry.
Selby’s Soil & Erosion Control spraying up at Lake Berryessa as part of the LNU Fire Complex Restoration project.
NEW REQUIREMENT - All Caltrans projects must provide a Winterization Amendment by September 15th, this includes listing the areas that need stabilization before it rains, and addressing erosion and sediment controls to prevent soil loss and subsequent exceedances.
Before the rainy season, take a look at all of the disturbed soils on your site, and determine whether or not final stabilization can be implemented. We recommend trying to implement final stabilization where you can to save costs on temporary erosion control. When it's not feasible, look for an option such as Temporary Hydraulic Mulch to provide a temporary erosion control solution for Winter.
Your Qualified SWPPP Developer and SWPPP Inspection Team will be able to help come up with a game plan to properly stabilize slopes using the right BMPs to achieve compliance. After you’ve figured out where to stabilize, book Sediment and Erosion Control professionals to make sure the job gets done right the first time.
There's a wide variety of hydraulic mulch products out there. Each one has different purposes, specific applications, and varies in price. Here are a few of the basic types...
Temporary Hydraulic Mulch - fiber and tackifier (must be 50% wood fiber), 2,000 lbs/acre
Temporary BFM Hydraulic Mulch - 100% wood fiber and tackifier, may be combined with seed and fertilizer, 3,500 lbs/acre
Temporary Cementitious Binder Hydraulic Mulch - fiber and cementitious binder, 4.000 lbs/acre
Tips for Success
To get your full money's worth, there's a couple of steps that you should take. We've seen it happen where an incorrect and skimpy application has led to temporary erosion control failure. The extra time spent applying erosion control = less time maintaining during the middle of Winter.
Prep the soil before spraying the mulch - roughen up soils and track walk vertically up and down disturbed slopes, this helps to create small pockets for stormwater to collect and allow more surface area for the hydraulic mulch to stick to
Coat the entire area evenly with a thick layer of hydraulic mulch - refer to the application's manual or use the 2,000 lbs/acre rule
Apply multiple layers of mulch from different directions (when possible) - this helps ensure total coverage of the disturbed soil area, see the example below of shadowing between hydraulic mulch applications
Let hydraulic mulch dry completely before it rains - the mulch will not work if it gets rained on while it's still drying, schedule your hydraulic mulch services accordingly to allow for enough dry time before the first rain event of the season
Everyone needs to spray before the first rain event - book your hydroseeding/hydraulic mulch applications early, they book up quick
Notice how parts of the soil here are peeking through the green? That’s because it still needs more mulch from the other side. Your soil should be totally covered from all angles.
Ready for Winter? We've got you covered. Our team has over 15 winters under our belt.
Email estimating@tullygroup.com or Call (707) 693-1926 We're social butterflies - www.instagram.com/tullygroup
Written by Mae Shulman & Edited by Kaeli Tully, QSP
