When used for temporary sediment retention, Earth Saver wattles, which are also called fiber rolls, can reduce off-site sedimentation by:
- Providing storm drain inlet protection
- Directing runoff water to retention and detention devices
- Reducing water velocities in areas of concentrated flow such as waterways and swales, when installed as check structures
- Functioning as an alternative to silt fence for perimeter sediment control
Earth Saver fiber rolls complement permanent best management practices used for source control and revegetation. When installed in combination with straw mulch, erosion control blankets, hydraulic mulches, or bonded fiber matrices for slope stabilization, Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles can:
- Reduce the effects of slope length and steepness
- Reduce sheet and rill erosion in agricultural areas
- Capture ash and sediment following wildfires
- Function as vegetative filters by promoting plant growth within the fiber roll
As a functional alternative to silt fence installations, fiber rolls have some distinct advantages. Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles:
- Install more easily, particularly in shallow soils and rocky material
- Are more adaptable to slope applications and contour installations
- Blend in with the landscape and are less obtrusive
- Do not obstruct hydraulic mulch and seed applications
- May be removed or left in place following establishment of vegetation
Earth Saver was also the first manufacturer to palletize and shrink-wrap its fiber rolls for quick delivery to your site, a system that provides protection from the weather until installation.
Use of Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles as a Temporary Best Management Practice (BMP)
Capture Inlet Sediment
Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles can be used to protect storm drain inlets. Because they are flexible, the fiber rolls can be adapted to curb inlets as well as area drains. As with all sediment control devices, the fiber rolls should be inspected after each significant storm event, and sediment and debris removed and disposed of properly.
Control Stormwater Runoff
Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles can be used to divert flow and direct stormwater to treatment areas much in the same way that sand or gravel bags are traditionally employed.
Check Structures in Gullies and Swales
Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles are typically used as check structures in areas of concentrated water flow such as swales, grassed waterways and down drains. They can be installed in combination with any type of rolled erosion control blanket or channel liner and function by slowing water velocity, settling out sediment, and preventing undermining of the channel lining material.
Prevent Off-Site Sedimentation From Construction Activities
Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles can be used in lieu of traditional silt fence installations for the perimeter of disturbed areas. The fiber rolls blend in with the landscape and are more easily installed, inspected and maintained.
Use of Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles as a Permanent Best Management Practice (BMP)
Reduce the Effects of Slope Length and Steepness
Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles ameliorate the erosive effects of slope length and steepness. Fiber rolls are installed on the contour at specific intervals to reduce down slope water velocity and retain sediment. Tests at the San Diego State University Soil Erosion Research Laboratory have demonstrated that Earth Saver fiber rolls reduce off-site sediment delivery from bare soil by as much as 58 percent. When combined with other surface erosion control treatments such as straw mulching, hydroseeding, erosion control blankets, and bonded fiber matrices, performance is even higher.
Promote Stabilization and Revegetation of Stream and River Banks
Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles can be a flexible, low-cost and complementary component of soil bioengineering practices to control stream and river bank erosion. The fiber rolls can be interplanted with willow cuttings or other plant materials, and they also trap and foster the development of natural vegetation within their fibrous core.
Stabilize Soil After Timber Harvests and Forest Fires
Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles can be used as perimeter containment devices to prevent sediment-laden runoff from haul road surfaces from entering sensitive habitat or protected streams. Following wildfires, placement of the wattles across affected slopes is much more effective than contour felling of trees in preventing ash and sediment delivery to down slope resources.
Enhance and Protect Vineyards
Soil erosion in vineyards can diminish crop yields by as much as 20 percent in a 20-year time span.Stepping hillsides and preserving acreage already under cultivation is important to maintaining and increasing the amount of arable land. Properly placed, Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles can provide protection to vineyards subject to soil erosion.
Provide Vegetative Filters
Earth Saver Rice Straw Wattles provide many long-term advantages. For example, the fiber rolls collect not only sediment behind and within their fibrous core, but plant materials as well. The benefits are two-fold:
(1) unlike silt fence, the fiber rolls biodegrade and do not have to be removed; and
(2) temporary erosion and sediment control is transformed into a permanent vegetative buffer along the installation contour.