Erosion Control & Silt Fence Installation

Example builds › L&S Excavation › Services › Erosion Control & Silt Fence Installation

If you're disturbing more than an acre of ground in Tennessee or Georgia — and a surprising number of residential building lots cross that line — federal stormwater rules require an erosion and sediment control plan with on-the-ground BMPs (best management practices). Inspectors check for it; if it's not there, the project stops. We install and maintain silt fence, inlet protection, construction entrances, sediment traps, and slope stabilization across the Greater Chattanooga area, sized to the SWPPP (stormwater pollution prevention plan) on file with TDEC or the Georgia EPD.

Why erosion control matters

The dirt that washes off a construction site doesn't disappear. It goes into the nearest creek, choking the substrate and harming aquatic life — and into nearby properties, where it becomes the homeowner's problem. The federal Clean Water Act, administered by TDEC in Tennessee and the EPD in Georgia, requires sites disturbing 1+ acre to have an active SWPPP and to inspect/maintain the BMPs through construction.

Beyond the legal piece, good erosion control prevents:

• Sediment damage to neighbors' property and shared driveways
• Fines and stop-work orders (commonly $1,000-$10,000 per violation)
• Long-term soil loss on the build site that has to be replaced as topsoil
• Mud tracked onto public roads, which itself is a violation

What we install

• Silt fence along the down-slope perimeter, trenched into the ground 6 inches deep so water flows through the fabric instead of under it
• Construction entrance pads — 50-100 feet of clean #1 or #2 stone at the entry point, which knocks the mud off truck tires before they reach the road
• Inlet protection — fabric or stone bags around storm drain inlets to filter water entering the system
• Sediment traps and basins for larger sites or steeper slopes
• Diversion swales to route clean water around the disturbed area
• Slope stabilization — straw blankets, erosion control matting, or hydroseed on cut slopes
• Rock check dams in temporary ditches to slow water velocity
• Tracking maintenance — re-graveling the entrance, cleaning out silt fence, replacing damaged sections

When you need a SWPPP

Federal NPDES rules and TDEC's CGP (Construction General Permit) kick in at 1 acre of disturbance. Many jurisdictions in our area drop that threshold for hillside lots, lots adjacent to streams, or lots in regulated overlays. Quick check:

• Disturbing more than 1 acre? You need a SWPPP and a Notice of Intent (NOI) filed with TDEC or EPD.
• Disturbing less than 1 acre but part of a larger common-plan development? You still need a SWPPP.
• Less than 1 acre, isolated lot? Federal rules don't apply, but local rules might. Hamilton County and the City of Chattanooga have their own land disturbance rules.

When in doubt, ask. The cost of asking is zero; the cost of being wrong is a stop-work order.

Common projects

• New home construction sites (SWPPP coordination + BMP install)
• Subdivision developments (initial install + maintenance through buildout)
• Site grading jobs on hillside lots
• Driveway extensions or aprons that cross a streambank buffer
• Pond or pool excavation adjacent to creeks
• Storm restoration work after heavy rain damages an existing site

Inspections and maintenance

A SWPPP isn't a one-time install. The CGP requires:

• Weekly inspections documented in a log
• Inspections after every 0.5-inch rain event (Tennessee) or 0.5-inch in 24 hours (Georgia)
• Repair within 7 days of any deficiency noted

We can handle the install only, the install plus weekly inspections, or full SWPPP administration depending on what the project needs.