Erosion Control

Erosion Control is the practice of preventing or controlling wind or water erosion in agriculture, land development and construction. This usually involves the creation of some sort of physical barrier, such as vegetation or rock, to absorb some of the energy of the wind or water that is causing the erosion.

Best Management Practices

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are control measures taken to mitigate changes to both quantity and quality of runoff caused through changes to land use. Generally, BMPs focus on increased impervious surfaces from development. BMPs are designed to reduce stormwater volume, peak flows, and/or nonpoint source pollution through evapotranspiration, infiltration, detention, and filtration or biological and chemical actions.

The following articles describe the best management practices for erosion control:

  • Ditch Checks

    BMP Objective: Sediment trapping channel protection Control Type Code = 1 Description Check dams are small barriers consisting of rock, erosion bales, excelsior logs, or a synthetic triangular silt dike. They reduce the velocity of small concentrated flows, provide a barrier for sediment, and reduce erosion potential. Primary Purpose/Use/Application/Suitability Check dams are used for long drainage swales or ditches to reduce erosive velocities. On maps, expect to put ditch checks mainly along roadsides. Which type of ditch check to use is determined by ditch width. Rock check dams are more suitable for narrow ditches and gullies or ditches with an odd contour. Erosion bales are suited for ditches with wide swales. The contributing drainage area is normally 2-10 acres. Design Criteria Check dams, no matter what type, should be placed on the slope such that the top of the downstream dam should be at the same elevation as the toe of the upstream dam ...
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  • Inlet Protection

    BMP Objective Sediment Trapping Control Type Code = 3 Description Inlet protection consists of a variety of methods of intercepting sediment at low point inlets through the use of erosion bales, excelsior logs, synthetic triangular dikes or any other creative means to accomplish effective sediment removal. When designing inlet protection, the main idea is to filter sediment out of the system while allowing clean water to enter the storm drain and continue to the stream. Primary Purpose/Use/Application/Suitability Inlet protection is considered a secondary defense in site erosion control. Every inlet that is connected to a stormwater system or has an outlet that discharges to waters of the state needs effective inlet protection. Often on construction sites excelsior logs, erosion bales, and synthetic triangular traps are utilized. On existing roadways requiring modifications curb inlet protection is necessary. Design Criteria Excelsior log, erosion bal...
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  • Sediment Trap Basin

    Legend Symbology BMP Objective Sediment Trapping Materials and Waste Management Control Type Code = 2 Description Sediment traps and basins are very similar in function. They both form ponding areas where sediment is allowed to settle out before water is discharged through a stabilized spillway. The sediment traps and basins detain runoff long enough to allow most of the suspended sediment to settle while still allowing for diffused flow of runoff. Primary Purpose/Use/Application/Suitability Sediment traps may be used on projects where the drainage area is less than 5 ac. and are often temporary structures. Sediment basins are used for projects that drain disturbed areas of greater than 5 acres and can be incorporated as permanent features on the site, depending if a detention pond is needed long term. Normally sediment traps and sediment basins are excavated at the lowest elevation of a construction site where all the water ultimately collects before ...
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Other best management practices include:

  • Silt Fence
  • Construction Entrance
  • Dust Control
  • Rock Outlet Protection
  • Compost Organic Filter Berms
  • Contour Ditch
  • Diversion Dike
  • Channel Protection
  • Cut To Fill Slope Transition
  • Slope Drains
  • Level Spreader

All development in the County must comply with the County’s adopted Land Development Regulations.

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s website has direct links to most of the state and federal rules and regulations that apply in Wyoming. There are also downloadable files for a wide range of environmental permits on the site as well as other data of interest to businesses and private citizens and there are links and contact information to relevant web sites for obtaining additional details.

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