It is not an exaggeration to say that in the case of most land-disturbing activities, erosion control and revegetation are the last phase of project development and also the last thing most contractors want to worry about. Final restoration of a site reflects on the overall quality of a project. Poor vegetation, unstable slopes, rills, gullies and offsite impacts of sedimentation are costly to repair.

A wide range of problems requires a broad range of possible solutions. A veritable smorgasbord of materials and techniques are being manufactured and proposed, and for the moment, it appears that the technology which produces these new materials exceeds our wisdom in knowing how to use them. The “technology transfer” or the fitting of a solution to a problem requires imagination, proper planning, design and construction which utilizes a combination of materials and techniques.

History

In the past, most of the technical expertise in erosion control resided in governmental service agencies, both state and federal. Indeed, many of today’s practical solutions, both in materials and techniques, are rooted in decades of field research and onsite development in the agricultural sector. Erosion control practices were low-cost, government-subsidized, directed towards agriculture, and compliance largely voluntary.

With the advent of environmental legislation in the early seventies, “nonpoint source pollution”, which included erosion and sedimentation from non-agricultural sources, began to draw attention from the standpoint of its impact on water quality. Soil conservation was made mandatory in some non-agricultural industries, particularly in the strip mining industry. Mine reclamation became, and still is to a large degree, the proving ground for innovative materials and techniques. At this point, through a combination of government regulation and the need for innovative, effective materials and procedures, a real market began to develop for erosion control.

Products and solutions were proposed, based in part on agricultural models; their higher costs justified by an increased level of effectiveness. Technical expertise shifted from the government to the manufacturer and the technician who implemented the new technology.

Pieces Of The Puzzle

Limited only by imagination, manufacturers now produce a myriad of products, engineers and architects utilize these new tools in their designs, and field technicians put them in place. The industry has become market-driven with technical expertise residing primarily on the supply side of goods and services. Today one doesn’t necessarily have to sell the idea of erosion control?EUR??,,????'???he sells solutions to an accepted problem.

Like pieces of a puzzle, products have their own niche in the marketplace; each a tool for a particular job. Major categories of erosion control technology include:

• Beach and bank stabilization
• Concrete products
• Consultants/Technical assistance
• Contractors (general)
• Drainage products
• Engineering services
• Equipment
• Erosion control blankets
• Erosion control/revegetation contractors
• Fencing
• Gabions
• Geotextiles and confinement systems
• Government
• Irrigation
• Mulch
• Laboratories
• Landscape Architects
• Landscaping services
• Environmental organizations
• Seed: grasses & legumes
• Seed: wildflowers
• Soil conditioners
• Soil reinforcement
• Tackifiers
• Trees & Shrubs

Putting The Pieces Together

Today the membership of the IECA numbers in the hundreds with members located throughout the world. Last year’s conference in New Orleans drew over 325 people and featured international speakers presenting a wide range of topics. This year’s conference in Vancouver, B.C. takes place February 15-18, 1989, and promises to be as informative, with timely presentations and exhibits related to equipment, practices, products, applications and future trends.

The IECA REPORT, the bulletin of the organization, is published quarterly and distributed to members as a forum for new i6 ideas, products, technological advances and services. It also provides information on organization events and other erosion control topics. This year for the first time, the IECA will publish a Products and Services Directory. With over 400 listings from across the United States and Canada, the Directory represents the first attempt by the industry to compile information about itself for public use.

Finally, it has been said that in the business of erosion control, no one gives you their front yard; in other words, the restoration of the more difficult sites with the most severe problems are the general rule. And yet, with a finite land resource, from an ecological point of view, these disturbed and challenging areas are our front yard. Any activity which impacts a specific aspect o environmental quality, such as erosion and sedimentation cannot be separated from the broader range of environmental issues; water quality, air quality the quality of life in general. This synergism or “inter-connectedness is not only characteristic of the environment, but the term can also be used to describe, like pieces of a puzzle, the IECA and the industry it represents.

Michael V. Harding is President of Aspen Environmental Consultants of Fenton (St. Louis), Missouri, a firm. Which specializes in mined land reclamation, revegetation and erosion control. He is also Manager of Technical Services for A.S.P. Enterprises in Fenton, a distributor of geotechnical fabrics and erosion control materials. He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Erosion Control Association as Administrative Vice President and is Editor of the IECA’s quarterly journal, the REPORT.

I E C A Annual Meeting,
February 15-~8, Vancouver, B.C.