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Practiol Approaches for Effective E ~ S Coturol - 87 <br /> <br />H Ease of Installation <br />Probably the most important aspect of erosion control technology application is <br />the ease at which it can be applied. Genctally, the fewer number of steps <br />required the better. If some form of mechanical assistance is available, such as <br />staple guns for blankets instead of hand placement, then the chances are that <br />there will be less resistance among the labor force in properly installing the <br />materials. Some BMPs requite the importation of materials to complete an <br />application (i.e. rock for gabions). Some such as biotechttical composites can <br />utilize onsite materials. This factor should be taken into consideration when <br />comparing BMPs. <br />Some BMPs, notably hydraulic methods, require a time to set or "cure" in order <br />to be effective. This characteristic imposes a new set of conditions on use of <br />the material, but in most cases, the conditions imposed (precipitation, <br />temperature, soil conditions) are not that dissimilar from conditions necessary to <br />effect normal vegetation establishment. <br />Field Notes: !t has been this author's experience that no material or technique <br />• <br />is effective unless it is installed correctly. As the number of application steps <br />and the level of difficulty increases, so does the likelihood char the particular <br />BMP selected will not be correaly applied or installed. Ease of installation is <br />one variable where dissimilar erosion control approaches af~1 be compared <br />against each other. <br />VEGETATION <br />PN Native PLtnt Compatibility <br />This variable describes a BMP's incorporation of native plants as part of the <br />erosion control system. Some BIvIPs, such as hydraulic applications, aze not <br />selective in the types of seeds that can be used and can be said to be "universal" <br />in terms of plant compatibility. However, certain types of dry straw mulches <br />have been shown to produce, upon decomposition, certain allelopathic <br />chemicals which inhibit the growth of some broadleaf plane. <br />Additionally, some application rates of hydraulic BMPs, particularly soil <br />sealants, and the use of certain densely woven geoteztiles have the capability to <br />inhibit establishment of native or "indigenous" plants through the surface <br />material. <br />~~ <br />Field Notes: The use of native grass hay in dry mulching is gaining ground, <br />particularly in the Western United States, because the hay carries with it a large <br />© 1995 IECA <br />