Silt trap

A silt trap is a designated area where water that is contaminated with

suspended sediment as a result of construction activity or water runoff is
contained. While the water is in the trap, the sediment can settle to the
bottom of the trap until it can be removed. These devices can be made using
silt curtains, silt fences or a series of shallow ponds to naturally filter the
sediment from the water before it reaches a stream or clean body of water.

Environmental protection efforts, such as the silt trap, are often seen in
conjunction with mining or construction. Activity from these industries can
result in the production of grain-size particles, stone dust and other
components that create suspended sediment when caught up in water runoff
during rainfall. As the rainwater carries these particles and other pollutants
to streams, rivers and lakes, the suspended sediment can cause a serious
issue for the fish and other wildlife that inhabit these waters.

In some cases, the silt trap might also serve an additional purpose.
Particularly in the mining industry, it becomes the last opportunity to reclaim
precious metal ores that otherwise might have been lost. Settling tables,
sluices and gold pans are time-tested methods of reclaiming gold, and these
methods all work on the same principles as a silt trap. Many mining
companies that produce ore in areas where precious metals are found might
also regularly remove the accumulated sediment in their traps and process it
to reclaim the precious metals that can be found.

4) @jcraig - The sedimentation ponds you described are very good at

sediment control. They are great places for wildlife, too. The problem is that
they can be expensive. They can only be put in certain areas and cost some
money to set up. Given a choice, the ordinary farmer doesn't care where the
water goes if it costs him money. To this point, most of the sedimentation
ponds have been installed as pilot projects by universities.

I believe that strip mines do have regulations saying that they must have
ponds, though. The nutrient runoff from farms is bad, but runoff from mines
can be toxic to everything around it. Most of the pollution is a combination of
the chemicals used to mine the ore as well as things used to separate the
ore from rock.

Sulfuric acid is often used to mine copper, and this has turned into a huge
problem in Chile where copper is common. The sulfuric acid is extremely
dangerous and leaks into the water supplies, because they don't have very
good regulations in place to filter to mine runoff.

3) I used to live in central Illinois where farming is the major industry. One of
the big problems there is that sediment and fertilizer from the fields ends up
running off into streams and ponds. A lot of the nutrients eventually end up
in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, which has caused some major
problems.

Something that they have started to do around the larger farms is putting in
sedimentation ponds. Basically, once the water flows off of the field, it goes
into the pond instead of the drainage pipes. The ponds aren't anything big.
They just cover a relatively small area, but they work great from what I have
been told. They have done a few studies and found that almost all of the
nutrients and sediment gets filtered out in the pond so that only clean water
ends up in the pipes. i think it is a great method of erosion and sediment
control, and they should be more common.

@cardsfan27 - A silt fence is a pretty common structure on most construction

sites that are located on hilly areas. Basically, it is a black tarp-looking
material that is put up like a fence around the building area. They work all
right for temporary uses. They don't really filter anything like a pond would.
Their main use is just to physically stop sediment from moving downhill.
2)

For any construction project, they should have permits in place to do

whatever they are doing. You could check with the city and see that they
have the right permits. If the stream is a small one, the city probably makes
its own regulations about what can and can't go into it. If it is a larger one,
though, it make be regulated by the EPA. I wouldn't go snooping around the
construction site, though, looking for these things. I'm sure the workers
wouldn't appreciate that much.

- jmc88
1) How exactly would you identify a silt trap if it were in place? I guess I
could see the silt pond, but what would a silt fence look like? How effective
are these things at actually stopping the silt from entering the water supply?

I ask because there is a construction project going on in our town, and I get
the feeling that the workers are not using the proper methods to stop
material from getting into the stream that is nearby. I would like to get an
idea of whether or not they are doing things the way they are supposed to.

If they were violating the regulations, who would you call to report something
like that? Would it be an issue that the city was supposed to take care of, or
would that be something for a larger organization like the state or national
EPA?

Silt fence
A silt fence, sometimes (misleadingly) called a "filter fence,"[citation needed]
is a temporary sediment control device used on construction sites to protect
water quality in nearby streams, rivers, lakes and seas from sediment (loose
soil) in stormwater runoff. Silt fences are widely used on construction sites in
North America and elsewhere, due to their low cost and simple design.[1]
However, their effectiveness in controlling sediment can be limited, due to
problems with poor installation, proper placement, and/or inadequate
maintenance.[2]
Silt fences are often perimeter controls, typically used in combination with
sediment basins and sediment traps, as well as erosion controls, which are
designed to retain sediment in place where soil is being disturbed by
construction processes (i.e., land grading and other earthworks).

A typical fence consists of a piece of synthetic filter fabric (also called a

geotextile) stretched between a series of wooden or metal fence stakes
along a horizontal contour level. The stakes are installed on the downhill side
of the fence, and the bottom edge of the fabric can be trenched into the soil
and backfilled on the uphill side, although it is quite difficult to move the
trenched "spoil" from the downside to the upside of the trench. The
design/placement of the silt fence should create a pooling of runoff, which
then allows sedimentation to occur. Water can seep through the silt fence
fabric, but the fabric often becomes "blocked off" with fine soil particles (all
sediment-retention devices have this challenge, and none of them "filter"
storm water for very long).[citation needed] A few hours after a storm event,
the fabric can be "disturbed" in order to dislodge the fines, and allow clean
water to flow through. Depending on the protected watershed and erosion,
larger soil particles will settle out, ultimately filling the silt fence to the top of
the structure; requiring another silt fence above or below it (creating a new
ponding area), or for the silt fence to be removed, the sediment removed or
spread out, and a new fence installed. The fence is not designed to
concentrate or channel stormwater. The fence is installed on a site before
soil disturbance begins, and is placed down-slope from the disturbance area.

Sediment is captured by silt fences primarily through ponding of water and

settling, rather than filtration by the fabric. Sand and silt tends to clog the
fabric, and then the sediments settle in the temporary pond.[6]:p.69
[7]:p.746

Some government jurisdictions in the United States recommend or require

the use of a reinforced fence, sometimes called a "super" silt fence or an
enhanced silt fence, on some construction sites. This design uses filter fabric
reinforced by a wire mesh or chain link fence. The metal backing gives the
fence increased strength to resist the weight of soil and water which may be
trapped by the fence in a large drainage area, and discourages construction
site operators from driving vehicles over the fence.[8] However, an improper
installation of a super silt fence can create an inadvertent sediment basin
when the filter fabric becomes clogged. This typically causes flooding and
increased downstream pollution. Most super silt fence specifications are out-
dated, requiring the trenching installation method, which has been shown to
be highly susceptible to "washing out" under the fabric due to improper
back-filling and inadequate compaction.[citation needed]

Silt fence fabrics (geotextiles) tested in laboratory settings have shown to be

effective at trapping sediment particles.[11]:4547 Although there have been
few field tests of silt fences installed at construction sites, these tests have
shown generally poor results.[11]:2731, 5355 (Effectiveness testing
involved measurements for both total suspended solids and turbidity.) Other
studies and articles about silt fence usage and practice document problems
with installation and maintenance, implying poor performance.[12]
Since 1998, static slicing the material into the ground has proven to be the
most efficient and most effective installation method because slicing
maintains the soil on both sides of the fence, and is conducive to proper
compactionwhich is critical to performance, as well.[citation needed] In
2000 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) co-sponsored silt fence
efficacy field research through its Environmental Technology Verification
Program, and in general, the report found the static slicing method to be
highly effective, and efficient.[13] Silt fence effectiveness is best determined
by how many hundreds of pounds of sediment are contained behind a given
silt fence after a storm event, and not turbidity, etc. as sediment-retention is
the end goal, and not a water-quality measurement used in erosion control,
for instance.[citation needed]

Silt fences may perform poorly for a variety of reasons, including improper
location (e.g. placing fence where it will not pond runoff water), improper
installation (e.g. failure to adequately embed and backfill the lower edge of
fabric in the soil) and lack of maintenancefabric falling off of the posts, or
posts knocked down. A silt fence top-full of sediment may need
maintenance/replacement, but it is a huge success.[6]:p.610 The fabric may
become damaged with holes and tears if construction materials are stored
next to or on top of the fence. During various phases of construction at a
site, a silt fence may be removed relocated and reinstalled multiple times.
[11]:3031 It may be difficult to maintain effectiveness of a silt fence under
such operating conditions. Location of fences in areas with high flows may
lead to fence failures when the installation is not adequately back-filled and
properly compacted, and/or the post-spacing is inadequate.[7]:p.746

Sediment basin

A sediment basin is a temporary pond built on a construction site to capture

eroded or disturbed soil that is washed off during rain storms, and protect
the water quality of a nearby stream, river, lake, or bay. The sediment-laden
soil settles in the pond before the runoff is discharged. Sediment basins are
typically used on construction sites of 5 acres (20,000 m2) or more, where
there is sufficient room. They are often used in conjunction with erosion
controls and other sediment control practices. On smaller construction sites,
where a basin is not practical, sediment traps may be used.[1]

Essential sediment abundance is prevalent in the construction industry which

gives insight to future endeavors. In essence lateral buckling occurs under
traverse load or at critical loads.

On some construction projects, the sediment basin is cleaned out after the
soil disturbance (earth-moving) phase of the project, and modified to
function as a permanent stormwater management system for the completed
site, either as a detention basin or a retention basin.[2]

A sediment trap is a temporary device installed on a construction site to

capture eroded or disturbed soil that is washed off during rain storms, and
protect the water quality of a nearby stream, river, lake, or bay. The trap is
basically an embankment built along a waterway or low-lying area on the
site. They are typically installed at the perimeter of a site and above storm
drain inlets, to keep sediment from entering the drainage system. Sediment
traps are commonly used on small construction sites, where a sediment
basin is not practical. Sediment basins are typically used on construction
sites of 5 acres (20,000 m2) or more, where there is sufficient room.[3]

Sediment traps are installed before land disturbance (earth moving, grading)
begins on a construction site. The traps are often used in conjunction with
erosion controls and other sediment control practices.[4]