By Rich McLaughlin, Ph.D
It is no secret that our population is increasingly located in urban areas in and around cities, which in turn were often established adjacent to streams and rivers as a source of fresh water. This has not been a good thing for the fresh water source in most cases. Wastewater, polluted runoff, and industrial discharges, coupled...
By Kenneth Wright, P.E.
An innocuous looking structure to most people, low-head dams have claimed the lives of more than 1,400 recreationists, rescue personnel, dam owners and maintenance personnel.1More commonly known as weirs or diversion ditches, low-head dams are defined by the Federal Register as underwater structures typically 5- to 15-feet high that are designed and built to span a...
We are excited to introduce IECA Connect, our new online community networking tool for members to collaborate, ask questions, share ideas, seek recommendations and more!
IECA Connect allows you to tap into the expansive knowledge and experience of our member community, and the more we all join in the discussions, the more we all benefit. With the reunification with Region...
By Julie Morelli, P.G., REM, CPESC
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program provides a regulatory framework to authorize the discharge of stormwater from regulated activities such as construction, industry and urban environments. Industrial sites identified by standard industrial classification (SIC) codes or industrial activity (IA) codes listed in the NPDES Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) are subject to permit...
Collaborative Approach Leads to Success
By Dylan Drudul, CPESC
Keeping a project on schedule, under budget and safe are some of the most important goals a contractor or site superintendent should achieve every day. Staying compliant with local, state or federal erosion and sediment control (ESC) regulations can sometimes feel like a daunting task. However, there are a few things that...
Overcoming Challenging Weather and Terrain
By Hannah Giess
The Ara Tūhono–Pūhoi to Warkworth Project is an 18.5-km motorway extension currently being built north of Auckland, New Zealand. The motorway is designed to offer a safer and more reliable travel route than the existing state highway and connect the Northland Region with the upper North Island freight network.
The Waka Kotahi NZ Transport...
By Dwayne Stenlund, MS, CPESC, MnDOT
It is clear from predictive models and field experience that the majority of sediments are lost in the wettest months at the height of typical full speed construction activity. In Minnesota, about 70% of all erosion that can occur happens in the months of June, July and August. Winter months may provide around 5%...
By Michael A. Perez, Ph.D., CPESC, Auburn University
The IECA Standards and Practices (S&P) Committee has developed new performance-based standards for the design, installation and maintenance of sediment control practices. The S&P Committee has adopted a process in the design of standards that includes a thorough review of existing guidance and literature prior to the development of new guidance as...
By J. Blake Whitman, Ph.D., PE, CPESC; Michael A. Perez, Ph.D., CPESC; Jaime C. Schussler MS.; Lan Liu, Ph.D., LEED GA, EI
Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpted version of the IECA 2021 Technical Paper of the Year.IECA members can read the full paper at www.ieca.org/resourcelibrary.
IntroductionWattles are used on construction sites all over the world to manage stormwater and...
By Nancy Schumm, PWS, CPMSM, CPESC
In the 1970’s, there was a children’s animated program called Schoolhouse Rock.1 The program covered a variety of topics to help children understand the world. One episode focused on how a bill becomes a law. It describes how a bill begins with an idea, gets sponsored by a member of Congress who brings the...
