Slope & Erosion Control in Providence, RI

Slope and erosion control in Providence starts with the shape of the place. The city is one of many said to be founded on seven hills, and the land around it rises from the bay into glacial ridges. That leaves homeowners and builders with short banks above sidewalks, terraced backyards, roadside cuts and drainage swales that carry water every time it storms. Bare soil on any of them washes downhill. As erosion control contractors, we cover the slope with something that holds until grass roots can take over.

Why slopes fail here

The glacial soils of Rhode Island's uplands, like the Narragansett series, have a silt loam surface over gravelly coarse sand. The USDA describes them on slopes up to 25 percent. Silt loam is easy for running water to pick up, and on a slope it moves fast. With about 47.5 inches of precipitation a year at the airport station, a bank in Providence will see plenty of rain before new grass can root. Loose soil ends up on the sidewalk, in the street and in the storm drain.

Matching the treatment to the slope

We pick the material by pitch, length and how much water runs across it.

Hydromulch. On moderate banks, a heavier rate of wood fiber mulch with extra tackifier holds seed through ordinary rain. It costs the least and goes on with the same rig that sprays a lawn.

Bonded fiber matrix. On steeper, longer slopes, a bonded fiber matrix sprays on and dries into a continuous, porous crust that resists raindrop impact and runoff while seed germinates underneath. It is useful where a blanket would be hard to pin, such as rocky ground.

Erosion control blankets. Straw blankets, straw-coconut blends and coir blankets are rolled down the slope and stapled into the soil over seed. They are the strongest choice for steep banks and channels where water concentrates. Straw breaks down within a season or two; coir lasts longer for tougher spots.

Swales, ditches and channels

Where water flows rather than just falls, such as a roadside ditch, a swale along a property line or an outlet below a downspout, seed alone rarely survives. We shape the channel, line it with a blanket rated for flowing water, seed it, and make sure the outlet does not dump onto bare ground.

Slope stabilization for building work

On construction sites, erosion control is part of the plan approved for the job. The federal rule behind every construction stormwater permit, as the EPA explains it, requires that bare, disturbed ground be stabilized right away once work on it pauses for longer than 14 days. We install the blankets and hydromulch called out on the plan and can work alongside your silt fence crew or install the fence ourselves.

When grass is not enough

Some banks are too steep, too shaded or too wet for turf. We will tell you if a slope needs a retaining wall, riprap or a planted groundcover instead of seed. We would rather say so at the estimate than seed something that will slide.

Call (401) 271-4843 or get a free estimate and we will walk the slope with you.