(Blog) Pay Dirt In-Field Workshop: Construction Site Erosion and Sediment Control BMPs In Action!

Have you ever heard of construction site erosion and sediment control best management practices (BMPs), also known as construction site BMPs? Prior to working at Wessler, I hadn’t - and little did I know the importance of them in preventing the most common stormwater pollutant from damaging our nation’s waters: sediment.

I had never heard of “erosion control blanket”, “concrete washout”, or “inlet protection”; however, these measures are critical in protecting waterways and the environment. During my first year with Wessler, I was educated on all kinds of construction site BMPs while working on projects, attending workshops, and attending both the Indiana MS4 Partnership and INAFSM conferences in 2024. I learned the basics of erosion and sediment control BMPs on construction sites required by the construction stormwater general permit (CSGP), such that measures like construction entrances, concrete washout, stabilization techniques, and vegetative cover all work in tandem to prevent erosion and sediment discharge from project sites. Even with this toolbox of BMP knowledge that I had, I was unaware of the more elaborate questions concerning these concepts until I was able to see many of these BMPs in action.

The Pay Dirt event I attended in 2024 hosted by the Elkhart County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) was exceptionally informative and memorable. The event began as a three-day conference in March of 2024 with presentations targeted at stormwater management from both construction and agricultural perspectives, hence the event tagline, “Where Cultivation and Construction Meet”. Atypically, as compared to other conferences I attended, there was an intermingled crowd of construction professionals, consultants, public figures, agricultural professionals, and residents. The variety of attendees stood out to me in highlighting the importance of all those who are affected by stormwater quality, and how so many people had come together to ask questions and trade information to expand on basic knowledge. What took us so far out-of-the-box was the Pay Dirt In-Field event that followed the conference a few months later in August. It consisted of numerous demonstrations of construction site erosion and sediment control BMPs that had been set up, some by vendors themselves, to see proper implementation of these BMPs and how they prevent erosion and sedimentation offsite when used correctly. Seeing the BMPs setup and in-action brought about questions I would not have thought about from reading text and looking at images.

A stable construction entrance - not built from traditional stone but from high-density polyethylene mats that could be reused from project to project. Prior to this, I knew construction entrances were required for some projects, but not about how there were different ways for entrances to be achieved based on soil compositions, ingress/egress slopes, project size, and how these may prevent sediment tracking for varying project landscapes.

Proper setups for a concrete washout station – in three entirely different variations. Yes, I knew concrete washout was required for construction sites with concrete work. No, I hadn’t thought about the sizing and varying materials, and how these create differing opportunities for volume and disposal.

The “Stabilization Station” – where seven different types of slope stabilization methods were set up weeks before the event to show the strengths of different products or methods, including bare seeding, straw, straw mats, erosion controls blankets, turf reinforcement mats, and roughened surfaces. My brain immediately went from thinking through my basic knowledge that “3:1 slopes are required to have proper reinforcement” to more elaborate thoughts like what kinds of reinforcements would be better for retaining sediment and promoting plant growth on different soil types, stream banks or lengthy hills.

A pond skimmer demonstration – taking murky water from an inflatable pool and discharging clear water into a nearby ditch. Some post-construction BMPs, like constructed ponds, can require complimentary tools to prevent sediment discharge through outlet structures. Another idea that I hadn’t previously thought about with respect to post-construction BMPs.

At the surface, construction site erosion and sediment control BMPs may seem black and white, but after the Pay Dirt In-field event I realized that there are more to these BMPs to be considered when putting them into action. There is so much variation in what types of measures are suitable for different construction sites and how to properly implement them to prevent pollution of stormwater, which can pick up so many things in its path. My experience with Pay Dirt also emphasized how impactful construction BMPs can be in a community, as they affect not only municipal employees, contractors, and builders, but have far reaching impacts into all communities including residents, recreationalists, and agricultural professionals. The insights from the event carry over into what we do as environmental scientists while proposing construction site stormwater BMPs for so many projects, and remind me that there is considerable variation in the definition of the ‘correct’ BMPs for each project.