Silt Fences

Silt fences are boundary measures, usually used in addition with sediment reservoirs and sediment traps, as well as erosion control to maintain water where the soil is disrupted by building activities (i.e., soil grading and other earthworks).

The aim of a silt fence is to maintain the soil on damaged property, such as a building site until the ground disrupting operations are finished enough to enable revegetation and permanent soil optimisation to begin. Holding the soil on a building site, rather than enabling it to be drained away into existing water sources (e.g. streams, dams, wetlands, reservoirs, coastal areas) prevents water resources from declining and harbour flows from silting.