Soil Erosion and Sediment Control

Every major development in New Jersey must obtain certification from one of the 16 soil conservation districts demonstrating compliance with the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act, Chapter 251. Because soil erosion is created during clearing and grading activities associated with land development, it can potentially result in polluting the waters through sediment deposition. Therefore, it is obligatory to comply with the comprehensive erosion and sediment control program whose intent is to reduce the erosion danger from stormwater runoff, to retard nonpoint pollution from sediment and to conserve and protect the land, water, air and other valuable environmental resources.

Thus, the engineering drawings will include a Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (SES) Plan in order to comply with the erosion and sediment control program. The SES plans will indicate the proposed land treatment measures and the corresponding timing schedule for their implementation. A series of general notes, along with the timing schedule and the associated work activities will be detailed and listed in chronological order to promote the reduction of sedimentation and soil erosion. The soil erosion measures in conjunction with the stormwater management controls provide a defense against pollutants indiscriminately entering our waterways and the erosion of the natural land features.

Complementing the timing sequence and the general notes, the SES plan will also include the necessary engineering details for silt fences, construction entrances, inlet protection, rip-rap sizing and dewatering techniques. Finally, the SES plan will provide planting information to direct the contactor to implement temporary and permanent seeding measures as dictated by the optimum and acceptable panting dates.