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Erosion Control and Site Stabilization
Property owners may take steps to prevent the transport of pollutants from fire areas and stabilize property from erosion and sedimentation provided the control measures installed DO NOT disturb burned debris and ash from structures and delay the response of the hazardous material and debris/ash cleanup and removal process. Please remember that there are health hazards associated with disturbing debris and ash; follow all public health guidelines that have been issued.
The links provided below are informational only – professionals should be consulted and utilized for debris removal, installation of erosion control measures, and restoration activities.
For a list of erosion and sediment control material vendors and professionals, see this spreadsheet. Please note, this list of vendors is not all inclusive. The vendors are not affiliated with Napa County and this list is provided as information only and is not intended to be legal advice or an endorsement of any service or entity.
General Post-Fire Restoration Documents
- After Wildfire - A Guide for California Communities
- NRCS - Post-fire Restoration - Dos and Don'ts
- NRCS - Post-fire Restoration - Preparing for Winter
- NRCS - Post-fire Restoration - Preparing Vineyards Orchards, and Rangelands for Winter
- NRCS - Post-fire Restoration - Forest and Woodland Areas
- Recovering from Wildfire - University of California ANR Publication 8386 @(Model.BulletStyle == CivicPlus.Entities.Modules.Layout.Enums.BulletStyle.Decimal ? "ol" : "ul")>
Guidance for Erosion and Sediment Control Treatments
The following links are guidance documents for installing erosion and sediment control treatments. After identifying which Erosion and Sediment Control Best Management Practices (BMPs), are relevant to your property, use the following links for guidance in implementing the selected BMPs.
If your property was burned or you are concerned about hazards on your property, use this checklist to determine what erosion control and site stabilization methods are relevant to your site conditions: Napa Fire Complex Debris and Ash Removal (DAR) Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Checklist
Click here for an update to the soil cover provision recommendations (June, 2021).
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Log Erosion Barriers
Log erosion barriers (LEBs) are built by felling and placing fire-killed trees parallel to the hillside contours. The LEBs are designed to retard overland flow of water and sediment on hillside slopes, thereby reducing post-fire hillslope erosion and sediment delivery to stream channels
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Sandbag Erosion Barriers
Sandbag barriers are used to create a dam or backwater area, which slows the water down to allow sediment to settle out. Sandbag barriers are typically more durable than straw bales or silt fences, and sandbags tend to conform to the ground surface.
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Erosion Control Mats
Erosion control mats are stabilization fabrics designed to support plant growth and reinforce soil to mitigate soil displacement.
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Preserve Vegetation
Preserving natural vegetation provides buffer zones and stabilized areas, which help control erosion and protect water quality.
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Hydroseeding
Hydroseeding is a technique that spreads a specialized grass “slurry” evenly over bare ground to grow grass and prevent soil erosion.
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Straw Mulch
The application of straw as a protective cover over seeded areas or bare soil to reduce erosion.
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Wood Mulch
The application of wood chips as a protective cover over seeded areas or bare soil to reduce erosion.
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Earth Dikes and Drainage Swales
Earth dikes and drainage swales are temporary storm conveyance channels constructed either to divert runoff around slopes or to convey runoff to additional sediment control BMPs
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Slope Drains
A pipe or lined channel designed to convey concentrated runoff to protect exposed slopes from upstream runoff.
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Compost Blanket
A compost blanket is a 1- to 2-inch-thick layer of loose compost applied directly to the soil surface and is used for the purpose of runoff reduction and erosion control.
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Track Walking/Surface Roughening
Roughening a bare soil surface with horizontal grooves to reduce runoff velocity, increase infiltration and reduce erosion.
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Non-vegetative Stabilization
Non-vegetative stabilization methods are used for temporary or permanent stabilization of areas prone to erosion and should be used only where vegetative options are not feasible.
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Silt Fence
A silt fence is a temporary sediment barrier made of porous fabric. Once installed, a it prevents the movement of sediments from disturbed areas into nearby waterways
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Sediment Basin
A sediment basin is a temporary pond built on a site to capture eroded or disturbed soil that is washed off during rain storms.
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Sediment Trap
A sediment traps are similar to sediment basins but have a smaller capacity.
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Check Dams
Check dams are temporary structures designed across drainage systems, ditches and swales to control stormwater runoff, prevent erosion, traps sediment, and prevent it from passing through the dam.
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Fiber Rolls
A fiber roll is a temporary erosion control and sediment control device used to protect water quality in nearby waterbodies. from sediment erosion. It is made of straw, coconut fiber or similar material formed into a tubular roll.
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Gravel Bag Berm
A gravel berm consists of a single row of gravel bags that are installed end-to-end to form a barrier across a slope to intercept runoff, reduce runoff velocity and remove sediment.
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Storm Drain Inlet Protection
Inlet protection devices intercept and/or filter sediment before it can be transported from a site into the storm drain system and discharged into a waterbody.
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Stabilized Construction Entrance
A stabilized construction access is defined by a point of entrance/exit to a construction site that is stabilized to reduce the tracking of mud and dirt onto public roads by construction vehicles.
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Stabilized Roadway
A stabilized construction roadway is a temporary access road, designed for the control of dust and erosion created by vehicular tracking.
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Wind Erosion Control
Wind erosion control consists of applying water or other dust suppressants as necessary to prevent soil erosion.
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Stockpile Management
Stockpile management includes measures to minimize erosion and sediment transport from soil stockpiles.
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Solid Waste Management
Solid-waste management involves the collecting, treating, and disposing of solid material that is discarded because it has served its purpose or is no longer useful.
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Hazardous Waste Management
Hazardous Waste Management involves managing the generation, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes.
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Sanitary/Septic Waste Management
Sanitary and septic waste management prevent the discharge of pollutants to stormwater from sources of sanitary and septic waste.
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Rolling Dips
Rolling dips are channels excavated across a road to drain water effectively from the road surface and prevent concentration of water.
Restoration
- Hazard Tree Removal
- Hillside Home Drainage
- Hydromulching
- Seeding
- Hand Raking @(Model.BulletStyle == CivicPlus.Entities.Modules.Layout.Enums.BulletStyle.Decimal ? "ol" : "ul")>
See the Post-Fire Watershed Recovery Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Click here to return to the Post-Fire Watershed Recovery homepage.