VEGETATION AS A SEDIMENT FILTER

Utilizing vegetal strips to control erosion has long been a common practice. They can be used to reduce sedimentation from developing areas. The University of Kentucky is conducting research to determine the relationship between physical variables and the amount of sediment trapped in order to determine the physical size of a grass filter. The filtering process is described as occurring in two stages which are unified by the fact that the slope of the sediment profile appears to be constant for a given set of conditions. In order to determine the trapping efficiency of the media, a simulation model was made to look at the suspended load and bed load transport. With finer particles and steeper slopes, especially, there was a considerable amount of sediment transported as bed load. Bed load movement through actual vegetation would be negligible, since most grasses are in clumps. From various tests, it is concluded that in order to determine the size of vegetal filter it is necessary to predict the geometry of deposition. Tests are currently being planned to develop a model that will predict the slope of the sediment despositon face. An analysis of the flow of water through vegetation will then be made to determine which vegetations can serve as effective filters.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of the National Symposium on Urban Hydrology and Sediment Control, July 28-31, 1975.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Kentucky, Lexington

  Department of Civil Engineering
  176 Raymond Building
  Lexington, KY  United States  40506-0281
• Authors:
  • Tollner, E W
  • Barfield, B J
  • Haan, C T
• Conference:
  • Proceedings of the National Symposium on Urban Hydrology and Sediment Control, July 28-31, 1975.
• Publication Date: 1975-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 61-64

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Erosion control; Filters; Grasses; Loads; Sediments; Simulation; Suspended sediments; Vegetation
• Old TRIS Terms: Bed load
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00135879
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UKY BU109
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 26 1976 12:00AM