There is plenty of construction going on in Butler County this spring.

The Butler Conservation District staff is busy reviewing earthmoving plans to make sure environmental concerns are addressed before construction begins.

The plan reviews do not include storm water management, which is left to municipalities.

The conservation district has accepted certain responsibilities for the implementation of erosion and sediment pollution control through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.

The paperwork must be in place before earthmoving takes place. The plan must be implemented during construction to prevent erosion. When an earthmoving site is inspected, the plan is taken to the site to determine if it is being properly followed. Violations are noted on the inspection reports. Voluntary compliance is preferred over enforcement.

Sediment is the main construction site pollutant. Erosion rates from construction sites typically are 10 to 20 times those of agricultural lands. Runoff rates can be 100 times those of agricultural lands.

Sometimes a small amount of construction may have a significant negative impact on water quality in our county streams. We have had a large amount of rainfall in the past year.

Sediment can be controlled by protecting disturbed areas from rainfall and flowing water. It is often necessary to trap the sediment that is being transported.

Proper planning to control construction site erosion is crucial to the control process. Each construction project should be planned with surface and groundwater drainage in mind. This means scheduling construction activities at the proper time and using phased construction stages that minimize the amount and duration of soil exposure.

Excellent soil conservation stabilization practices, such as seeding and utilizing ground covers, remove sediment from rain runoff by dissipating the energy of raindrops and absorbing moisture.

Those soil conservation practices are relatively inexpensive and will prevent sediment pollution from entering the streams.

Wet retention basins have a constant pool of water in them and store runoff water even after rainstorms. Wet retention basins are effective at removing sediment from runoff water and allowing water to percolate back into the ground.

Dry retention basins remain dry between rainstorms. During rainstorms, they detain runoff water for a short period of time and sediment settles out.

Other soil conservation practices such as diversion structures, dikes, ditches and terraces may be used on a construction site. Filter structures such as sediment fences and straw bales can be used to slow water velocities to reduce erosion.

In addition to improved water quality, some benefits of sediment control include:

Reduced frequency and intensity of floods

Lowered costs from purifying drinking water obtained from surface water resources

Reduced water cleaning and channel dredging

Increased value of waterfront property

Preserved fish, wildlife and natural areas for recreation.

As conservationists, we are working to prevent sediment from entering Butler County streams. Sediment pollution can be greatly reduced or even prevented by implementing soil conservation practices on land.