SURFACE EROSION CONTROL TECHNIQUES ON NEWLY CONSTRUCTED FOREST ROADS

Summary: A newly constructed forest road was treated with three erosion control treatments: wood excelsior erosion mat, native grass species, and exotic grass species. The study evaluates treatment methods on the basis of sediment reduction and runoff volume reduction compared to no treatment. The erosion mat treatment was most effective in mitigating erosion losses with a 98 percent reduction in cutslope sediment production and 88 percent reduction in fillslope sediment production. No significant difference was found between the erosion mat and grass treatments.