Environmental Requirement?

[W. Gray]

I have never learned the why and therefore of the black vinyl "fence" put up around construction sites.

I assume its environmentally mandated.

The black vinyl seems usually to be about two feet high and is held up with wooden stakes spaced every few feet. The feet of fencing involved seems, in many cases, to be extensive.

What is this short fence keeping in or keeping out?

Can some one fill me in?

[sodbuster]

Waldo, living here in California where there is a high attention to environmental requirements some great; some stupid. I must say we over do it many times.  That being said, I have not seen what you describe here in Ca. I am interested to see what you describe is all about. So like you I am waiting for replies.

David

[Dee Gee]

Waldo, that is a filter fabric that is suppose to catch the dirt and let the water pass thru, thereby keeping the creeks and lake from silting in.

[W. Gray]

Thanks for that info.

I know that on some sites, it looks like that fence was a major effort to put in, but as time goes by, the construction site seems to ignore it and let it decay without maintenance.

[jarhead]

This past year when the gas company was building a new compressor station between Oak Valley and Elk City, they put one of those short black fences around the whole construction site. I was told it was to keep some kind of land terrapin out of the construction site---TRUE ? I don't know but that's what I was told.

[W. Gray]

Jarhead,

Would you suppose they were trying to get inside to look for a scarce job?

[sodbuster]

This past year when the gas company was building a new compressor station between Oak Valley and Elk City, they put one of those short black fences around the whole construction site. I was told it was to keep some kind of land terrapin out of the construction site---TRUE ? I don't know but that's what I was told.

Terrapins are aquatic.  So it is not true. Jarhead not a dig, trash talk, or anything else directed towards you. Just a clarification on "land terrapin" term that you used.

David

[srkruzich]

W Gray thats called a silt fence.  Keeps the silt out of the waterways.  Usually it can be backed by straw bales too.

[srkruzich]

Thanks for that info.

I know that on some sites, it looks like that fence was a major effort to put in, but as time goes by, the construction site seems to ignore it and let it decay without maintenance.

Its pretty much designed to biodegrade. 

[Dee Gee]

Waldo, the silt fence is required on all construction project where the soil is disturbed, it is trenched in about 6 inches then supported by stakes.  Here is a link to the KDOT site on silt fence.
http://www.ksdot.org:9080/burConsMain/specprov/2007/2114.pdf