SEDIMENT & EROSION CONTROL

Compost Filter Socks

Compost Filter Socks provide a cost-effective way to manage soil erosion and water runoff. Life-cycle costs reported by longtime customers are half the cost of other products when you factor in reduced maintenance and disposal costs.

  • A Compost Filter Sock is a durable woven fabric filled with composted mulch that is designed to redirect flow and filter out sediment and other contaminants from stormwater events using a three-dimensional filtration process.

  • Compost Filter Socks save time and money on construction projects by providing quick installation, simple maintenance, and easy disposal. Compost Filter Socks slow down water while filtering out sediment which prevents muddy sidewalks, streets, and streams. When the project is complete, simply cut open, spread mulch on-site, and dispose of fabric.

    • Perimeter sediment control

    • Check dam in ditches and swales

    • Storm drain and curb storm inlet protection

    • Frozen, compacted, paved, and inaccessible/uneven areas

    • Slope interruption to reduce sheet flow speed and prevent rill erosion

    • Reduction of suspended solids and turbidity in effluents

    • Low-impact development, green infrastructure, and green building pact development, green infrastructure, and green building

Compost Filter Sock Installation

Need: A skid steer and a 2-person crew

  1. Cut the wrap at the top and drop the end down to the ground.

  2. Stake the end of the sock's desired starting location.

  3. Drive skid-steer in reverse while another laborer pulls the sock off the pallet and sets it in the proper location, perpendicular to grade.

  4. Place stakes every 10 feet.  Drive through the center or on the downslope side of the sock.

  5. Overlap sock ends 1’-2’ between pieces. Stakes included.

  • Compost Filter Sock should be inspected and repaired if necessary prior to each rain event. Sediment should be removed when it reaches half the height of the sock.

  • Our socks are filled with composted mulch that is sized appropriately to allow for the right balance of filter and flow through the sock. This material makes an excellent soil amendment.

  • 8” diameter sock is sold on pallets of 12’, 20’, and 200’ lengths. 12”, 18”, and 24” diameter socks available.  Also available in biodegradable fabric.

  • Tubular Knit, Multifilament Polypropylene, mesh opening 1/8”.

  • Our sock can withstand being driven over on the job site, though it will break if driven consistently. Socks should be inspected after each time they’re used to ensure contact with the ground is maintained. 

  • Approximately 2-4 years.

Compost Blankets 

Compost blankets are an effective way to reduce erosion while promoting new vegetation growth on flat, steep, rocky, or frozen areas.

  • A compost blanket is a layer of loosely applied composted material placed on the soil to reduce stormwater runoff and erosion.

  • Compost blankets act as a cushion to absorb the impact of rainfall, reducing erosion. Additionally, compost retains a large volume of water, increases the nutrient availability in the area, and improves the soil structure, all of which promotes vegetation growth in the blanket, making a compost blanket a long-term erosion control option.

    • Erosion control for flat areas

    • Slope stabilization (most effective for slopes between 4:1 and 1:1)

    • Promoting growth of vegetation cover in areas with poor soil quality or late in the growing season

    • Erosion and sediment control for rocky or difficult terrain

Compost Blanket Installation

  1. Remove any trash or debris from the site.

  2. Apply 1 to 3 inches of compost.

  3. For steep slopes, compost socks should be applied as well to reduce the runoff velocity.

  4. Seed for vegetation growth can be incorporated into the compost or broadcast after the compost blanket is applied.

Learn More about Using Compost for Sediment and Erosion Control