Erosion controls keep your yard in place, keep local waterbodies clean, and prevent discord with the neighbors. Follow the link to learn more...
It's an exciting thing to get a new home, but some new homes are missing a crucial element...a lawn. Some builders prefer to leave landscaping decisions and installations up to the homeowner and turn over homes without vegetative cover that prevents erosion. For most of us, that vegetative cover will eventually consist of a combination of lawn grass and landscaping beds. But until the lawn is established with actively growing grass, it can be hard for a homeowner to know what to do.
First and foremost, do not remove erosion and sediment controls before your yard is stabilized...even if you or your neighbors find it unsightly. It might be awhile before your landscaper can get to your yard or before sod becomes available. You don't want soil moving off your yard and into your neighbor's yard where it can lead to disagreements; or onto the street where it can cause safety problems; or into the stormdrain where it will negatively impact the local pond.
If your yard is not permanently stabilized with vegetation, and is missing erosion and sediment controls, install erosion and sediment controls or sod immediately. Erosion controls consist of temporary cover that prevents raindrop impact, the force that loosens soil before it gets carried away in runoff. Temporary cover takes many forms: disc anchored straw mulch, hydro mulch, annual cover crops (oats or winter wheat), erosion control blankets, blown leaf litter compost, tarps, etc. Sediment controls trap a portion of the eroded soil that has started to move off your property. Common sediment controls include silt fence, bio-logs, small berms, etc. Sediment controls do not trap everything, which is why it is important to use a combination of both erosion and sediment controls.
In most cases, permits require the builder to have temporary erosion and sediment controls in place if the lot is not permanently stabilized with lawn when the property is transferred over to you. If that is not the case, or if you have to replace some of the temporary erosion and sediment controls, you can contact Apple Valley Natural Resources at 952-953-2400 for advice on how to prevent erosion on your lot.
Enjoy your new home!