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Welcome
to the Glossary of Erosion & Sediment Control Industry
Terms. Need to look up some obscure initials? This is
the place.Clicking on an underlined letter will take
you directly to that section of the glossary.
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please email us at info@forester.net.
A
B C D
E F G
H I J
K L M
N O P
Q R S
T U V
W X Y
Z
A
Abrasion
Removal
of streambank soil as a result of sediment-laden water,
ice, or debris rubbing against the bank
Accelerated
erosion
Erosion
caused or increased by human activity, such as agriculture
or construction, as opposed to naturally occurring
erosion
Acid
soil
Soil with
a low pH (below 7.0)
Aerification
A mechanical
process used to cultivate the soil without destruction
of the turf
Alkaline
soil
Soil with
a pH above 7.0
Antiscour
protection apron
An apron
in front of a revetment to help protect the revetment
against underscour
Apron
On a golf
course, the fairway area in front of and around a
green
Armor
To protect;
protective covering; shield
B
Backfill
The process
of filling a cavity with soil, gravel, rock, or other
material
Backshore
The zone
of the shore or beach including the berms that lie
between the foreshore and the dunes or bluffs. The
backshore is acted upon by waves only during severe
storms, especially when combined with exceptionally
high water.
Backwater
area
The low-lying
lands adjacent to a stream that become flooded during
periods of high water
Bank
slip
Downward
slippage of the bank of a stream or body of water
caused by erosion and stress
Bank
The part
of the soil next to a stream, lake, or body of water
where the soil elevation adjacent to the water is
higher than the water level; also embankment
Bar
A sand
or gravel deposit in a streambed that is often exposed
only during low water periods
Beach
nourishment
The process
of replenishing a beach, either naturally through
accretion due to the longshore transport, or artificially
through the deposition of dredged materials
Beach
A deposit
of unconsolidated sand along the edge of a sea that
extends landward to the base of the dunes or bluff.
The zone of sedimentary material that extends landward
from the low water line to the place where there is
marked change in material or form, or to the line
of permanent vegetation (usually the effective limit
of storm waves). The seaward limit of a beach is the
mean low water line. A beach includes foreshore and
backshore.
Bed slope
The inclination
of the channel bottom
Bed
The bottom
of a channel, creek, river, stream, or other body
of water
Berm
A nearly
horizontal part of the beach or backshore formed at
the high water line by waves depositing material.
Some beaches have no berms, others have one or several.
Biodegradable
Able to
decompose when exposed to biological agents and soil
chemicals
Bioengineering
Combination
of vegetative and structural practices to prevent
erosion or stabilize slopes or streambanks
Blanket
Material
placed on soil or a streambank to cover eroding soil
Bluff
A high,
steep bank or cliff
BMP
Best management
practice
Breakwater
A structure
protecting a shore area, harbor, anchorage, or basin
from waves
Brush
layering
Use of
live branch cuttings laid crisscross fashion on benches
between successive lifts of soil
Buffer
A small
area of permanent vegetation bordering a field, stream,
or lake or running through cropland, protecting the
soil from wind and rain erosion, slowing water runoff,
and trapping sediment and other pollutants
Bulkhead
A partition
to retain or prevent sliding of the land, or to protect
the upland against damage from wave action; also sea
wall, retaining wall, revetment, or armor
C
Catchment
An area
confined by drainage divides usually having only one
streamflow outlet. In the UK, "catchment"
refers to what in the US is called a watershed.
Caving
The collapse
of a streambank by undercutting due to wearing away
of the toe or an erodible soil layer above the toe
CFR
Code of
Federal Regulations
Channel
A natural
or artificial waterway
Check
dam
A temporary
dam across a swale or gully to reduce gully erosion,
or placed bank to bank downstream from a headcut;
often used in series
Clay
Cohesive
soil whose individual particles are not visible to
the unaided human eye (less than 0.002 mm in diameter).
Clay can be molded into a ball that will not crumble.
Coast
The strip
of land, of indefinite width (up to several miles),
that extends from the shoreline inland to the first
major change in terrain features
Code
of Federal Regulations
The compilation
of federal regulations. Each area of regulation is
contained in a separate volume (e.g., environmental
regulations are compiled in volume 40, or 40 CFR).
Each volume contains up to several hundred parts.
Cohesive
soil
Microscopic
soil particles that have natural resistance to being
pulled apart at their point of contact
Coir
log or coir roll
Roll of
coconut fiber, often used in bioengineering systems
to provide erosion control along a streambank support
the establishment of vegetation
Coir
Coconut
fiber
Collar
On a golf
course, the area of the putting green adjoining the
putting surface
Colorant
A dye
used to color brown or dormant turf
Compaction
The pressing
together of soil particles into a more dense mass
Continuous
berm
Temporary
diversion dike or sediment barrier constructed with
soil, sand, or aggregate encased in geosynthetic fabric
Contour
cropping
Tillage
and planting of a crop across, rather than in the
direction of, a slope to reduce soil loss
Cool
season turfgrass
Species
of turfgrass used primarily in the northern US, such
as bluegrass, fescue, bentgrass and ryegrass
Coring
A method
of aerification in which soil cores are removed by
hollowtines or spoons
CPESC
Certified
Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control
Crib
structure
A hollow
structure of mutually perpendicular interlocking beams
C-TRM
Composite
turf reinforcement mat
Curb
inlet sediment barrier
Temporary
barrier constructed from concrete block and gravel
or gravel-filled sandbags, designed to reduce sediment
discharged into storm drains by ponding the runoff
and allowing sediment to settle out
Cutbank
The outside
bank of a bend, often eroding and across the stream
from a point bar
Cutoff
A channel
cut across the neck of a bend
D
Deadman
A log
or block of concrete, or other material buried in
a streambank that is used to tie in a revetment with
cable, chain, or steel rods
Deflector
Structural
barrier (groin, jetty) projecting into a stream to
divert flow away from eroding sections of streambank
Dike
A structure
designed either to reduce the water velocity as streamflow
passes through the dike so that sediment deposition
occurs instead of erosion (permeable dike), or to
deflect erosive currents away from the streambank
(impermeable dike); also groin, palisade, spur, jetty,
or deflector
Discharge
The volume
of water passing through a channel during a given
time, usually measured in cubic feet per second
Distressed
streambank
A bank
experiencing erosion or failure
Dormant
seeding
The application
of cool season seed during late fall or early winter
for germination the following spring
DOT
Department
of transportation (federal or state)
Downdrift
The longshore
direction of predominant movement of littoral materials
Dredge
material
Soil that
is excavated from a stream channel, lake, or other
body of water
Dunes
Ridges
or mounds of loose, wind-blown material, usually sand
E
Eddy
current
A circular
water movement that develops when the main flow becomes
separated from the bank. The eddy current may then
be set up between the main flow and the bank.
Embankment
The part
of the soil next to a stream, lake, or body of water
where the soil elevation adjacent to the water is
higher than the water level; usually referred to as
the bank
Erosion
control blanket
Blanket
made from straw, coir, excelsior, or synthetic material
and enveloped in plastic or biodegradable netting.
Used to stabilize disturbed or highly erosive soils
while vegetation is established. Temporary blankets
made from biodegradable or photodegradable components
last several months to a year, and permanent blankets
(also called turf reinforcement mats) can last for
several years.
Erosion
Removal
of soil particles by wind and water
ESC
Erosion
and sediment control
F
Face
planting
Planting
vegetation in the frontal openings of retaining structures
Fairway
On a golf
course, the area between the tee and green
Fertigation
The application
of fertilizer through an irrigation system
Fetch
The area
in which seas are generated by a wind having a rather
constant direction and speed
Field
capacity
The amount
of water a soil can hold
Fill
material
Soil,
rock, gravel or other matter that is placed at a specified
location to bring the ground surface up to a desired
elevation
Filter
fabric
Geotextile
fabric
Filter
Layer
of fabric, sand, gravel, or graded rock placed between
the bank revetment or channel lining and soil for
one or more of three purposes: to prevent the soil
from moving through the revetment; to prevent the
revetment from sinking into the soil; and to permit
natural seepage from the streambank, thus preventing
buildup of excessive groundwater pressure
Fine
particles
Silt and
clay particles; also called fines
Flanking
Streamflow
between a structure and the bank, possibly occurring
because the structure was not properly tied into the
bank
Foreshore
The part
of the shore lying between the crest of the berm (or
upper limit of wave wash at high tide) and the ordinary
low-water mark, ordinarily traversed by the uprush
and backrush of the waves as the tides rise and fall
French
drain
A drainage
device in which a hole or trench is backfilled with
sand or gravel
Fugitive
dust
Particulate
pollution from construction sites, unpaved roads,
or other disturbed areas
G
Gabion
Baskets
(usually made of wire) filled with rock or broken
pieces of concrete, used for building erosion control
structures
Geographic
information system (GIS)
System
that links spatial information such as satellite images
and maps with alphanumeric information to produce
a georgraphically referenced database
Geomembrane
An impervious
thin sheet of rubber or plastic material that functions
as a barrier for liquid or vapor
Geotextile
Textile
made from synthetic fibers, usually nonbiodegradable.
Geotextiles can be woven or nonwoven and have varying
degrees of porosity. They are used as moisture barriers,
for separation or reinforcement of soils, for filtration,
and for drainage.
GIS
Geographic
information system
Global
positioning system (GPS)
Network
of satellites that emit continuous location-finding
radio signals; GPS receivers use the signals from
multiple satellites to determine their exact three-dimensional
coordinates (latitude, longitude, and height)
GPS
Global
positioning system
Gravel
Soil particles
ranging from 1/5 inch to 3 inches in diameter
Green
On a golf
course, a dense, smooth, closely mowed area used for
putting the golf ball
Greenbelt
Strip
of trees and shrubs growing parallel to a stream that
prevents overuse of the top bank area by people, animals,
and machinery; retards rainfall runoff down the bank
slope; and provides a root system that binds soil
particles together
Groin
A shore
protection structure (usually perpendicular to the
shoreline) built to trap littoral drift or retard
erosion of the shore
Groundwater
flow
Water
that moves through the subsurface soil and rocks
Groundwater
table
The depth
below the surface where the soil is saturated (the
open spaces between the individual soil particles
are filled with water). Above the groundwater table
and below the ground surface the soil either has no
water between the particles or is partially saturated.
Gully
erosion
An advanced
form of rill erosion, in which large channels are
incised into the soil by water runoff
H
Headcut
The point
at the upstream end of a channel where it grows and
lengthens; also called nick point
Headcutting
The action
of an upstream moving waterfall or locally steep channel
bottom with rapidly flowing water through an otherwise
placid stream. These conditions often indicate that
a readjustment of a streamâs discharge and sediment
load characteristics is taking place.
Hybrid
terrace
A method
of planting on slopes to prevent soil loss and landslides;
mulches, trees, vetiver grass, and rock walls are
combined on the terraces to tie soils onto the hillsides
and provide gradient breaks where sediments can be
deposited and nutrients retained
Hydraulic
mulching
Applying
wood fiber mulch and often a mixture of seed, water,
and fertilizer in one application help retain soil
and moisture; also hydromulching
Hydroseeding
A method
of seeding by mixing seed with water and fertilizer
and then spraying the solution onto a seedbed
I
IECA
International
Erosion Control Association
Impermeable
material
A soil
or material whose properties prevent movement of water
through the material
Impervious
surface
Hard ground
cover that prevents or retards the entry of water
into the soil and increases runoff, such as asphalt,
concrete, rooftops
Infiltration
The portion
of rainfall or surface runoff that moves downward
into the subsurface rock and soil
J
Jetting
A method
of placing piles or sheeting by forcing water around
and under to displace and lubricate the surrounding
soil, allowing the pile or sheeting to sink to the
desired position
Jetty
Structure
extending into the water to restrain currents
L
Landing
area
The part
of the golf course fairway where most tee shots land
Launching
Stockpiling
stone along the top bank so that the stone is undercut
and slides down the slope, protecting the bank against
future erosion
Layering,
soil
An undesirable
stratification of a soil
Littoral
drift
The sedimentary
material moved in the littoral zone under the influence
of waves and currents
Littoral
transport
The movement
of littoral drift along the shoreline by waves and
currents. Includes movement parallel (longshore transport)
and perpindicular (on-offshore transport) to the shore
Littoral
Of or
pertaining to a shore, especially of the sea
Live
staking
A bioengineering
technique in which cuttings from living branches are
inserted and tamped into the ground, where they eventually
take root
Loam
An easily
crumbled soil consisting of a mixture of clay, silt,
and sand
Loess
Deposits
of silt laid down by wind action
Longshore
Parallel
to and near the shoreline
Lower
bank
Portion
of the streambank below the elevation of the average
water level of the stream
M
Marsh
An area
of soft, wet, or periodically submerged land, generally
treeless and usually characterized by grasses and
other low vegetation
Mechanically
stabilized earth
Use of
steel bars or other material to stabilize the earthen
mass behind a retaining wall
Microphytes
Microorganisms
found in soil
Microscopic
soil particles
Clay and
silt; particles that cannot be observed by the unaided
human eye
MS4
Municipal
separate storm sewer system
Mulch
Any material
used to cover a soil surface to reduce evaporation
or prevent erosion
Mycorrhizae
Fungi
in soil; beneficial mycorrhizae in the root systems
of plants help plants withstand extreme temperatures
and increase their capacity to acquire nutrients
N
National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Mandated
by Congress under the Clean Water Act, a two-phased
national program to address nonagricultural sources
of stormwater discharge and prevent harmful pollutants
from being washed into local water bodies by stormwater
runoff
Navigable
streams
Waterways
of sufficient depth and width to handle a specified
traffic load
Neap
tide
A tide having
about 10 to 30 % less range than the average, occurring
about the time of quarter moons
Noncohesive
soil
Soil particles
that have no natural resistance to being pulled apart
at their point of contact, such as silt, sand, and
gravel
Nonpoint
source pollution
Pollution
originating from diffuse sources
Nourishment
The process
of replenishing a beach, either naturally through
accretion due to the longshore transport, or artificially
through the deposition of dredged materials
NPDES
National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. Mandated by
Congress under the Clean Water Act, a two-phased national
program to address nonagricultural sources of stormwater
discharge and prevent harmful pollutants from being
washed into local water bodies by stormwater runoff
NRCS
Natural
Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil
Conservation Service) under the US Department of Agriculture
NRDC
Natural
Resources Defense Council
O
Overbank
drainage
Water
flow over top bank and down the slope
Overseeding
Seeding
into a dormant turf with cool season turfgrass in
order to provide a playable surface (on a golf course)
during winter months in the South, or for aesthetics
Overtopping
The passing
of water over the top of a natural or artificial structure
as a result of wave runup or surge
P
Palisade
A barrier
Perched
beach
A beach
retained above the otherwise normal profile level
by a submerged sill
Photodegradable
Materials
that are not resistant to ultraviolet radiation and
therefore break down relatively quickly when exposed
to sunlight
Pile
A long,
heavy timber, pipe, or section of concrete or metal
to be driven or jetted into the earth or seabed to
serve as a support for a bulkhead
Piping
Flow of
groundwater through subsurface conduits in the bank
Plugging
Establishing
turfgrass using plugs of sod
Point
bar
The bank
in a bend that has built up because of sediment deposition
Point-source
pollution
Direct
pollution from industries and sewage; also called
single-point-source pollution
Proctor
curve
Curve
showing the relationship between the density and water
content of soil for a given compaction; also called
compaction curve
R
Rapid
drawdown
Lowering
the elevation of water against a bank or wall faster
than the structure can drain, leaving a pressure imbalance
that may cause the bank or wall to fail
RCEP
Rolled
erosion control product
RCRA
Resource
Conservation Recovery Act
Revegetation
Reestablishing
vegetative cover on ground that has been disturbed,
such as a construction site
Revetment
A facing
of stone, bags, blocks, pavement, etc. used to protect
or armor a bank against erosion
Rhizome
A below-ground
stem capable of growing a new plant
Rill
erosion
Removal
of soil particles from a bank slope by surface runoff
moving through relatively small channels, as between
crop rows; the most common form of erosion
Riprap
A layer,
facing, or protective mound of stones, randomly placed
to prevent erosion or scour at a structure or embankment;
also the stone so used
River
training works
Structures
placed in a stream to direct the current into a predetermined
channel
Rock
Soil particles
greater than 3 inches in diameter
Rooted
Expression
indicating that a bank has been excavated and the
end of a structure (check dam, dike, etc.) has been
placed in the cavity, thus retarding future streamflow
around the end of the structure (flanking)
Rubble
Rough,
irregular fragments of broken rock or concrete (riprap)
Runup
The rush
of water up a beach or structure, associated with
the breaking of a wave; measured according to the
vertical height above still water level that the rush
of water reaches
S
Sand
Soil particles
ranging from 0.05 to 2.0 mm in diameter; individual
particles are visible to the unaided human eye
Scour
pockets
The erosive
action of flowing water in streams that removes and
carries away material from the bed and banks in a
particular area or pocket
Scour
The erosive
action of flowing water in streams that removes and
carries away material from the bed and banks
Sea wall
A structure
separating land and water areas, primarily designed
to prevent flooding and erosion caused by wave action
Sediment
basin
A pond
created to retain runoff long enough to allow excess
sediment to settle out
Sediment
deposition
The accumulation
of soil particles on the channel bed and banks
Sediment
load
The soil
particles transported through a channel by streamflow
Sediment
Soil particles
that have been transported away from their natural
location by wind or water action
Seepage
Groundwater
emerging on the face of a streambank
Shear
Force
parallel to a surface as opposed to directly on the
surface. An example of shear would be the tractive
force that removes particles from a streambank as
flow moves over the surface of the slope; on the other
hand, a floating log that directly strikes the bank
would not be a shear force.
Sheet
erosion
The removal
by surface runoff of a fairly uniform layer of soil
from a bank slope
Sheet
piling
Piling
with a slender flat cross section to be driven into
the ground or seabed and meshed or interlocked with
similar sheets to form a bulkhead; may be aluminum,
fiberglass, steel, vinyl, wood or other suitable material
Shore
The narrow
strip of land in immediate contact with the sea, or
other body of water, including the zone between high
and low water lines. A shore of unconsolidated material
is usually called a beach.
Silt
fence
Temporary
sediment barrier consisting of filter fabric, sometimes
backed with wire mesh, attached to supporting posts
and partially buried
Silt
Noncohesive
soil whose individual particles are not visible to
the unaided human eye (0.002 to 0.05 mm). Silt will
crumble when rolled into a ball.
Sloughing
Movement
of a mass of soil down a bank into the channel, similar
to a landslide; also slumping
Sod
Plugs,
squares, or strips of turf with the adhering soil
Soil
Soil finer
than sand but coarser than clay, but not so fine that
it can remain suspended in water for long periods.
The grain size is considered to be less than 0.0625
mm.
Spiking
A method
of cultivation in which a solid tine or pointed blade
penetrates the turf and soil
Splash
zone
Portion
of a streambank between the average normal river stage
and the high-water stage
Stolon
An above-ground
stem capable of growing a new plant
Storm
drain
A drainage
system to collect stormwater runoff, separate from
the sanitary sewer or wastewater system
Storm
surge
An increase
in water level above the normal water level on the
open coast due to the action of wind stress and atmospheric
pressure on the sea surface
Straw
bale
Temporary
barriers made of straw bales are sometimes installed
across a slope or around the perimeter of a construction
site to intercept and detain sediment transported
by runoff
Streambank
erosion
Removal
of soil particles from a bank slope primarily caused
by water action but also by climatic conditions, ice
and debris, chemical reactions, and changes in land
and stream use
Streambank
failure
Collapse
or slippage of a large mass of bank material into
the channel
Streambank
The side
slopes of a channel between which the streamflow is
normally confined
Streamflow
The movement
of water through a channel
Surface
runoff
The portion
of rainfall that moves over the ground toward a lower
elevation and does not infiltrate the soil
SWMP
Stormwater
management plan
T
Tackifier
Material
sprayed onto a soil surface to bind soil particles
and prevent erosion
Terrace
zone
Portion
of a streambank inland from the bank zone
Texture
Refers
to relative proportions of clay, silt, and sand in
soil
Thatch
A layer
of organic material between the crown of the plant
and the true soil surface
Tie-back
A variety
of techniques used to secure the bulkhead, sea wall,
or revetment in place against the bank
Tillage
The practice
of producing a rough soil surface to maintain surface
residue, conserve soil moisture, and reduce wind erosion;
also conservation tillage
Tiller
A plant
that produces a new plant at the base of the parent
plant
TMDL
Total
maximum daily load
Toe zone
Portion
of a streambank between the streambed and the average
normal river stage
Toe
The break
in slope at the foot of a bank where the bank meets
the bed
Top bank
The break
in slope between the bank and the surrounding terrain
Topdressing
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