Silt Fence & Sediment Control in Oklahoma City, OK

Silt fence and sediment control in Oklahoma City is the part of a construction job nobody notices until it fails. When it works, rainwater leaving a graded lot slows down, drops its load of red dirt behind the fence, and runs off clear enough that the gutter and storm drain stay clean. When it fails, the street turns red after every storm. Home builders, remodelers, site contractors and property owners hire us as silt fence contractors: we set perimeter controls, inlet protection and related measures, then come back to seed so the controls can eventually come out.

When it is required

Oklahoma DEQ requires coverage under the OKR10 construction stormwater permit for any construction activity disturbing one acre or more, and for smaller sites that sit inside a bigger development or sale adding up to more than an acre. The permit requires a stormwater pollution prevention plan, and that plan is where silt fence lines, inlet protection and other sediment controls are laid out. DEQ points out that applicants may also need permit coverage from the city or county. On smaller jobs outside the permit, sediment control is still the neighborly thing to do and it keeps fresh grading from washing off your own property.

Silt fence installation done right

Silt fence is geotextile fabric on stakes, set across the slope below disturbed ground. The details decide whether it works. The bottom edge has to be trenched into the soil and backfilled so water goes through the fabric, not under it. Runs follow the contour as closely as possible, with the ends turned uphill so water cannot slip around them. Fence is meant for sheet flow; it is not a dam for a ditch or a concentrated stream, and placing it across one is the most common reason it blows out. On longer slopes or where more strength is needed, we use stabilized, wire-backed fence.

Inlet protection

Storm inlets in the street and on the lot take water straight to creeks and lakes. Inlet protection catches sediment at the drain itself. The right barrier depends on the kind of inlet and how much traffic crosses it: silt fence around area inlets, sandbags or a gravel-and-mesh barrier at curb inlets, or filter devices that sit beneath the grate. Each type has to be cleaned out after storms, because a clogged inlet filter floods the street.

Maintenance through the job

Sediment controls are not set-and-forget. After a hard Oklahoma rain, silt fence can fill with sediment, sag or get knocked down by equipment. Sediment that builds up behind the fence has to be cleaned out before it overtops the fabric, and damaged sections replaced. Permitted sites also need inspections under the SWP3. We can maintain the controls we install and repair damage after storms.

Getting to final stabilization

Silt fence is a temporary measure. The real goal is vegetation thick enough to hold the soil on its own. Once grading is done, we hydroseed and mulch the disturbed areas, and when the grass has taken we can pull the fence and patch the trench line. Doing both lets one crew carry the site from bare dirt to closeout.

Get a Free Estimate