Agriculture

A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of an area of soil. Its purpose is any or all of the following:

·       to conserve moisture

·       to improve the fertility and health of the soil

·       to reduce weed growth

·       to enhance the visual appeal of the area

Mulching...

Off road driving has potentially severe negative consequences for water quality. Some of these damages can be minimized or mitigated if drivers of vehicles exercise a few simple precautions. Avoiding driving in wet areas whenever possible will limit soil compaction and rutting. Rutting can concentrate flow paths and lead to increased erosion. In colder regions of Europe, driving on frozen soils will also reduce the potential for compaction...

Sediment capture ponds are engineered ponds placed in networks of forest ditches to slow the velocity of water and cause the deposition of suspended materials. Sediment capture ponds are most useful for managing the effects of ditch construction and maintenance, road work and final feeling. While used primarily in forests, sediment capture ponds may be a useful temporary measure for preserving water quality in and around construction sites or...

Coarse woody debris in stream channels has multiple ecological and hydrologic benefits. Coarse woody debris consists of large sections of deadfall: tree stems or stumps that either fall into or are deliberately placed in streams. Coarse woody debris can be deployed with varying degrees of naturalness. At one extreme, coarse woody debris can be used to form coffer or placer dams which effectively limit water flow. At the other extreme, natural...

Infiltration basins are vegetated depressions designed to hold runoff from impervious surfaces, allow the settling of sediments and associated pollutants, and allow water to infiltrate into underlying soils and groundwater. Infiltration basins are dry except in periods of heavy rainfall, and may serve other functions (e.g. recreation). They provide runoff storage and flow control as part of a SuDS ‘train’. Storage is provided through...

Retention ponds are ponds or pools designed with additional storage capacity to attenuate surface runoff during rainfall events.  They consist of a permanent pond area with landscaped banks and surroundings to provide additional storage capacity during rainfall events.  They are created by using an existing natural depression, by excavating a new depression, or by constructing embankments.  Existing natural...

Filter strips are uniformly graded, gently sloping, vegetated strips of land that provide opportunities for slow conveyance and (commonly) infiltration. They are designed to accept runoff as overland sheet flow from upstream development and often lie between a hard-surfaced area and a receiving stream, surface water collection, treatment or disposal system.

Filter strips are generally planted with grass or other dense vegetation to...

Soakaways are buried chambers that store surface water and allow it to soak into the ground. They are typically square or circular excavations either filled with rubble or lined with brickwork, pre-cast concrete or polyethylene rings/perforated storage structures surrounded by granular backfill. The supporting structure and backfill can be substituted by modular, geocellular units. 

Soakaways provide storm water attenuation, and...

Swales are broad, shallow, linear vegetated channels which can store or convey surface water (reducing runoff rates and volumes) and remove pollutants. They can be used as conveyance features to pass the runoff to the next stage of the SuDS treatment train and can be designed to promote infiltration where soil and groundwater conditions allow. Three kinds of swale give different surface water management capabilities:

• Standard...