Erosion Control and Stormwater Research

Erosion Control and Stormwater Pollution prevention Best Management Practices (BMPs) are studied to protect roadsides, comply with National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit requirements and integrate stormwater pollution prevention activities with the roadside environment.

Compost for Erosion Control and Storm Water Treatment, 2009

This research project is in progress. The final report will be posted when it becomes available.
This study will establish parameters for compost applications based on performance criteria such as soil type, climate, slope length and steepness, aspect, and location. The research will address how compost will affect water quality and erosion, if it can be used in place of structural BMPs or permanent vegetation and if it will affect the establishment of permanent vegetation cover.

Roadside Erosion Control Management Study, RECM, 2008

This research project is in progress. The final report will be posted when it becomes available.
This study provides research, expertise, services, training, computer tools and products that will enhance the Department's ability to improve its erosion control practices and vegetation establishment.

Providing Adequate Moisture for Plant Establishment under Reduced Irrigation, 2008

This research project is in progress. The final report will be posted when it becomes available.
Water use requirements are evaluated for roadside plantings and alternative methods are developed for plant establishment on newly constructed sites with less or no supplemental water from irrigation.

Evaluation Of Erosion Control Test Trials, Lake Tahoe, 2008

This research project is in progress. The final report will be posted when it becomes available.
Vegetation, soil and erosion control treatments and materials are evaluated in comparison trials at various locations in the Tahoe Basin.

Scoping and Siting of Ornamental Biostrips and Bioswales for Storm Water Treatment, 2007

This research project is in progress. The final report will be posted when it becomes available.
Storm water treatment performance is studied for ornamental types of vegetation in strips and swales designed in accordance with the Caltrans Highway Design Manual (HDM) and the Project Planning and Design Guide (PPDG).

Arid Region Non-Veg Permanent E.C., 2006

This research project is in progress. The final report will be posted when it becomes available.
This study executes the "Study Plan and Experimental Design for Non-Vegetative Erosion Control in Arid Regions" (CTSW-RT-02-038) Caltrans developed in 2002 for evaluating the performance of non-vegetative permanent soil stabilizers on reducing soil erosion and their potential impacts on storm water quality.

Performance of Erosion Control Treatments on Reapplied Topsoil, 2005

During 2003-2004, two experiments were performed that have direct relevance to projected revegetation during phases of the Route 46 Corridor Improvement Project, San Luis Obispo County, scheduled to begin construction in summer 20007. The goals of these experiments were to find effective erosion control treatments in conjunction with topsoil reapplication.

The Use of Mycorrhizal Fungi in Erosion Control Applications, 2004

This report demonstrates that plant species native to California exhibit greater dependence on mycorrhizal fungi, while introduced exotic species often fail to support mycorrhizal fungi. Through a series of field and greenhouse experiments that used native and exotic plant species common to southern California, the particulars of these important ecological relationships were investigated in a restoration context. Improved soil stability with native plants and their associated mycorrhizae is one consequence of these relationships.

Effective Planting Techniques to Minimize Erosion, 2004

The study provides results identifying planting techniques that may be best suited for establishing native vegetation on disturbed soils and for improving water quality. The best performing combinations of treatments were identified based on their ability to produce a high percentage of vegetation cover, increase species diversity, reduce runoff, and decrease sediment yield

Vegetation Establishment for Erosion Control Under Simulated Rainfall, 2002

Treatments were conducted in soil test boxes set at a 2:1 (H:V) slope. Erosion control treatments included combinations of five erosion control materials. Boxes were planted with the same native seed mix that included shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Erosion control effectiveness was evaluated.

Rainfall Sim: Evaluating Hyroseeding & Plug Planting for Erosion Control & Improved Water Quality, 2002

These studies identify and select plant species that demonstrate initial fast growth and potential long-term erosion control under a variety of rainfall regimes and erosion control treatments to improve water quality. The plants examined in these studies include both native and non-native naturalized species.

District 5 Advisory Guide to Plant Species Selection for Erosion Control, 2001

This prototype guide is an aid to landscape architects, biologist, or other personnel responsible for specifying plant species for erosion control. This hard-copy guide presents data tables reformatted from a geographic information system (GIS) that synthesize district-level data from five counties (Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara) that constitute District 5.