Straw Wattles for Erosion Control

The Co-Op now carries straw wattles for preventing erosion in backyards, fields, and slopes.

This winter has brought damaging floods to our area, with storms and snow melt-off adding to our already high water levels. If you’re concerned about how to prevent erosion and maintain soil quality, you’re not alone. Though we can’t say what kind of challenges may await us this spring, we at the Co-Op have preventative solutions to help protect your property from erosion damage and soil degradation.

We now offer 9" x 25’ straw wattles for $54.99. These high-quality wattles are from US Silt, a New Hampshire-based company specializing in erosion control solutions. They carry a variety of other products suitable for any landscape projects, which are also available from the Co-Op through special order.

How Straw Wattles Prevent Erosion

Typically the areas challenged by erosion are steeper slopes or low points in the land. Straw wattles break up the grade of a slope, allowing for better absorption of runoff into the ground. When the ground saturates to capacity, the wattles can absorb a great amount of runoff.

A straw wattle fence helps preserve the top layer of soil from washing away, thus conserving the nutrients in your soil. As such, wattles are a very popular choice for landscaping and farming. Local highway departments often use them to bolster low stretches of road, especially in this area where marshland is so abundant and seasonal flooding is common.

In addition to preventing erosion, straw wattles are excellent tools for conserving loose soil that has already eroded from higher ground, preventing more sediment buildup; often the reason why silt fences must be installed in the first place. It keeps soil from being displaced and causing problems further downhill, such as clogging storm drains or overflowing onto sidewalks.

These factors make straw wattles an excellent choice for those dealing with too much soil runoff over a large area, or who have a heavily sloped area to preserve. When installed properly, they prevent the land from displacing too much and becoming more difficult to manage in the long run.

Straw Wattles vs. Silt Fencing

If you’ve used silt fencing in the past and found it difficult to maintain, this is because the primary application of silt fencing is as a temporary measure for sediment control when the land is under construction or otherwise disrupted. If this isn’t the case for your situation, consider straw wattles as an alternative.

Silt fences do have their benefits. Especially when bolstered with bales of straw, it is a great barrier for sediment collected gradually, and is easy to remove from a property once its job is done. However, for properties experiencing regular erosion, silt fencing will not hold up to a large volume of water and is susceptible to damage from the elements. Silt fencing is not a long term solution for areas with high erosion.

The durability and biodegradability of straw wattles is a major draw for people seeking long-lasting erosion control. A properly installed straw wattle can last for years on a property. The straw within eventually decomposes, adding carbon into the surrounding soil. Our straw wattles are encased in a durable poly mesh which can eventually be removed from the area after the straw has decayed.

The effectiveness of straw wattles lies in their shape and size; the diameter of our wattles is 9 inches and meant to nestle about 2-3 inches into the ground, requiring a shallow trench for the entire 25-foot wattle. The soil collects around the wattle, pressing it further into place. Once it’s staked in, the wattles will not move, roll around, or flop over. It is significantly lower to the ground than a silt fence, but they are much more durable.

Adding a series of wattles in parallel to one another prevents soil erosion while evening out the grade of the land, changing the way water interacts with the slope itself.

Installing Straw Wattles

It is important that wattles be installed the right way in order to benefit the area you’re trying to protect. If improperly done, they could fail and even cause damage. Homeowners experiencing erosion should consult with a professional about the best solutions to implement.

The placement should follow a smooth contour along the slope, with a downward angle at the end of the row to prevent water pooling in the middle sections. The general method of installation is to dig a shallow trench, usually about 2-3 inches deep, perpendicular to the water flow direction. This is where the wattle will lay.

The soil dug up from the trench should be placed on the uphill side of the wattle and tamped down, to provide more stability. The wattle should be resting in the trench with no daylight visible underneath.

Stakes are required to keep wattles in place, with a 25-foot wattle requiring about 6 stakes, placed 4 feet apart from the center with two at each end. These stakes don’t have to be very tall, but must be staked in with several inches visible above the wattle. During a flooding event, wattles might become raised up and over the stakes if they’re sunk too low. The Co-Op sells 3-foot hardwood stakes for $2.39.

Taking the time to assess your property and map out the most effective configuration for straw wattles is crucial to proper installation. A landscaper or contractor can provide insight to how many straw wattles you may need and how best to implement them to get the most out of this resource.

Straw wattles are a cost-effective, versatile solution for the many challenges brought on by erosion.

How Straw Wattles Prevent Erosion

Straw Wattles vs. Silt Fencing

Installing Straw Wattles

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