Improving Infiltration and Vegetation in Post-Construction Soils

The process of constructing roads and buildings involves heavy equipment grading the land to provide for its new purpose.  By the time construction is complete, the soil has been severely disturbed so that what remains is often a dense, low-fertility material that can absorb little rainfall and which plants find inhospitable.  This course will describe a variety of methods to reverse this conditions and even turn vegetated areas into stormwater absorption zones.  After the problem is defined, the instructor will review mechanical methods to address compaction and a number of amendments that are commonly used.  Recent studies of tillage and amendment effects on infiltration and grass growth will be reviewed to provide evidence of how successful these remediation approaches can be to reduce runoff from built areas.

Learning Objectives:

1. Terminology used to describe soil and soil condition, understanding what "good" and "bad" values are for soil properties.
2. Knowledge of the range of options for soil treatment and the likelihood of success.
3. Understand the effect of tillage, depth of tillage, and amendments on vegetation growth, soil compaction, and infiltration.
4. Understand the benefits of tillage on infiltration.
5. Understand the major factors in successful soil treatment for infiltration as well as factors we have to investigate further.

Course Level: All

At the completion of this course you will receive 1 Professional Development Hour of credit. For any questions on continuing education credit, please contact IECA Education at education@ieca.org