Well, “a BMP” is not really a “thing” if you consider that the acronym stands for … Best Management Practice. The industry has taken to using the acronym BMP to indicate a veritable plethora of erosion and sediment control devices, features or processes. You hear conversations and even see written specifications that direct us to install BMP’s. What??? It might have helped us all if the powers-that-be just request that the installation of erosion/sediment control devices be conducted in accordance with the Best Management Practices that are accepted as industry standard. Oh well…we are all used to the terminology now.

Anyway, a BMP can be an erosion bale, a strip of vegetation that is left undisturbed during construction, surface roughening, silt fence or unique existing topography. So, when you hear BMP it probably means a specific ‘thing’…and that ‘thing’ will have best management practices for installation, maintenance and inspections.

NO! Although, these terms are confusingly used interchangeably, Hydro-seeding is a process used for some good reasons not the least of which is site accessibility issues and difficult ground conditions. Seed is mixed with water, fiber mulch, fertilizer and tackifier and sprayed onto the affected area. Hydro-mulching is the same spray process but without the seed. Generally the seed would have been drilled (planted) or hand broadcast and raked into the soil first. Hydro-mulching is used instead of mechanical mulching. The Hydro-mulching process is especially desirable around airfields, along runways, highway shoulders or any location that may be subject to high winds or in situations where the mechanically applied straw mulch cannot be successfully anchored to the soil for whatever reason. See the Seeding tab for more information.

Not only does Hydro-mulching protect the seed installation and retain moisture, but it also protects the soil from wind and rain drop erosion. In our opinion hydro-seeding is a poor method at best here in Colorado unless the installation is carefully watered, monitored and protected or there is just no other alternative. Seed to soil contact is always preferable to seeding applications where the seed is suspended in a slurry and sprayed on top of the soil. If someone is trying to sell you that process for your beat up horse pasture DON’T BUY IT!

No one knows. An erosion log is thought of as being different than a wattle based on diameter and length. Typically you see wattles that are 9"-12"x25’ and logs are 12"-18"x10’. No matter what you call them, they are designed to be permeable barriers used to detain surface runoff and slow flow velocity; and they do their job well! They can be made of various materials such as wood chips, rice straw, excelsior and coir. Wattles and logs are replacing the old erosion bale installation in many places (thank goodness!). Play it safe when inquiring and indicate what you are trying to accomplish, the size and material content you want and don’t worry about whether it’s called a wattle or a log.

Sediment is defined as solid fragments of inorganic or organic materials that come from the weathering of rock and are carried and deposited by wind, water, or ice. The sediment you see in the picture is carried by the River Rhone from Switzerland all the way to the south east corner of France. Sediment transport is a natural process but even when it occurs naturally it can have detrimental effects and it is not allowed when the sediment comes from your construction site.

If this is a naturally occurring process, what’s the big deal about sediment?!

Sediment transport from your construction project is a problem because it can contain pollutants such as:

• petroleum products
• concrete

• fertilizers
• pesticides, herbicides
• construction chemicals such as adhesives, curing agents and sealants

Beyond the obvious pollution issues, transported sediment can also:

• be composed of valuable topsoil
• plug up culverts which can cause flooding
• change the natural hydrology of local streams, creeks, rivers and drainage swales
• adversely affect delicate wetland habitat
• create air quality issues
• be extremely expensive to clean up and repair the areas where it came from

Sediment is a symptom of erosion. You are required by virtue of the Construction General Permit you were issued and legally bound to abide by, to stabilize disturbed soils. Since all soils during construction cannot be stabilized immediately after disturbing activities you will be in the sediment control mode for much of the initial construction phases. There are many great products and processes to choose from for controlling sediment. See Erosion for more information on Best Management Practices.

News from the EPA’s website 4 major home builders might give you a glimpse into why you need to care about sediment and erosion on your project. Don’t think for a minute that because you are not one of the biggest builders in the country you won’t be answering to the EPA or other agencies for neglecting to follow the mandates of the permit you hold. Land Rehab and SWP³ can help you with this. Click on the SWP³ tab

Not entirely. We thought about incorporating landscaping into services we offer but decided to stick with what we know the best. There are literally hundreds of landscaping companies to choose from and we do not feel the need to reinvent that wheel. We do install sod, trees, plants, and decorative mulches if that requirement is part of a bigger project where the majority of the scope of work falls into our main expertise. To be able to offer the full package we partner with Custom Environments whose owner is a licensed Landscape Architect with close to 30 years of experience making Colorado more beautiful.

The chart below will help point you in the right direction. We will also be adding charts like this one for the many other discharge permits including light and heavy industrial, mining, etc. We have tried to make this as simple as possible in a flow chart format with links to exact site locations to get your permitting started and also included some general site locations that have a ton more information for you to browse through.

In the simplest terms… if you are going to disturb an acre or more of ground with your project in Colorado, you are required to comply with LOTS of rules as far as water quality and the Clean Water Act are concerned. Obtaining the proper Federal and/or State, County and Municipal permits for this privilege is compulsory throughout the entire United States.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is in charge of oversight and issuance of their Construction General Permit, which is as the name indicates, for general construction activities. To view permit applications and forms for different kinds of construction activities such as oil/gas, light/heavy industrial and mining click on “All permit forms” under NPDES in the flow chart.

For many states, Colorado being one, the EPA has entrusted the state itself to issue its own CGP permits under the watchful eye of the EPA. The permits issued by the states are never less restrictive than the EPA CGP issued through the NPDES.

Colorado’s permission to issue their own permit excludes permitting for projects on Federal facilities or tribal lands – those are still issued through the EPA under the NPDES.

In Colorado, for general construction projects the CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) is the issuing agency of the Construction General Permit under the CDPS (Colorado Discharge Permit System). CDPS is Colorado’s version of the NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System).

Permitting scenarios:

……if your project is on Fort Carson for example you will need to apply for a permit directly through the EPA under the NPDES.
……if your project is at Academy Blvd and Woodman Road you will need to apply for a permit through the CDPHE under the CDPS.
……if your project is on both sides of 1-25 at Gate 20 for Fort Carson you will need to apply for both Construction General Permits – the EPA under (NPDES) & the CDPHE under (CDPS)

Permit Fee Schedule for Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Clear as mud?? Contact us we will help you.