It can be called many things: sediment fence, silt fence, silk fence, “that black fencing stuff”, et cetera. Whatever you call it, sediment fencing is the most widely used erosion control product around. During routine inspections Catawba County Code Enforcement Technicians have found many instances where it is installed incorrectly. The main job of a sediment fence is to pond sediment-laden water behind the filter fabric. Sediment fence should be trenched into the ground at the downhill edge of a disturbed area with no daylight showing beneath. Trenching the fabric in (either with compacted soil or gravel) allows it to filter out 85% of the suspended sediment. If the fabric is not placed a minimum of 8” below the surface, sediment-laden water will be able to escape beneath the bottom edge – severely limiting it’s filtering capacity.

Please be sure to install all sediment fences correctly. The extra time you spend doing so will save you time and money in the long run!