Frequently Asked Questions

River Sand, Inc. provides divot sand in white, tan, brown, and green colors.  The type of blend, preference, and price can determine the best color sand for your divot repair. 

Water exiting one property and entering another can be necessary but it also may become an issue.  Often a conversation that leads into landscaping and grading for both properties may be the best solution.  Ensuring the proper best management practices are beign used during construction and after can also eliminate erosion and excessive water runoff (check out Georgia’s Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control, the “Green Book” for ideas).  Other resources like your local extension agent, NRCS agent, local issuing authority, and even EPD may be able to offer insight.  If significant erosion is occurring and contributing to sediment ending up in your lake, pond, or stream it may be best to call a professional engineer or environmental consultant. 

Construction projects often have strict regulations about best management practices to implement so that soil is not lost from erosion from a site.  The first call may be to the local issuing authority, usually your city or county, to check for a land disturbance permit number.  If one has been issued, then there should be a set of plans that the inspector can check for compliance.  If not, then the inspector may need to see if one was required before construction began.  Preventing erosion is often the best practice but in most cases it is out of your control.  Once sediment is in the stream silt traps may be an option to capture a portion of the sediment.  A pre-construction survey of the lake sediment may be helpful in determining how much silt is being deposited over a period of time.  EPD is the next call to file a complaint if the erosion is not eliminated and the permit is followed.  The last result may be a consultant and/or lawyer to determine the best remedy.  Dredging is often the solution to cleaning out the sediment from the lake or pond once it has been deposited. 

Tailings are often an issue with mine sites.  As settling ponds fill with tailings, they must be removed to allow for more storage and capture.  Dredging can help remove tailings from ponds and process or dispose of them in an alternate location. 

Most bioswales are hard to spot without knowing that they are present.  Bioswales really look like another ditch or depression but most are landscaped nicely.  Sometimes a sign will be present to prevent damage or mowing of the plants.  Many bioswales look like a really well landscaped dry swale or ditch along parking lots or roads. 

Soil conditioner is a soil amendment or additive to help a soil improve its ability to grow plants.  Soil conditioners are designed to improve soil structure by increasing porosity and water holding capacity while decreasing compaction.  A soil conditioner’s ability to reduce compaction leads to deeper, healthier roots. 

Mulch offers a ground cover to prevent weeds, retain moisture for plants, and add a nice look to your landscape.  Mulch is all natural and easily maintained. 

A bathymetric survey is the measurement of the water depth in a lake, pond, or other water body.  It maps depths along with other underwater features.  Sediment surveys use this data in addition to the depth of sediment to the original bottom, hardpan.  A sediment survey can determine the depth of sediment throughout the lake and also the quantity of sediment within the lake. 

Bioretention ponds, bioretention cells, and bioretention basins are common names referring the same systems.  Rain gardens are usually smaller versions of these systems.  The idea is to capture stormwater runoff, specifically the water from smaller, more frequent events.  Generally, this water contains the most contaminants of nutrients, oils/grease, and other debris.  The bioretention areas are landscaped with plants and contain engineered soil to help filter the runoff and reduce the quantity of the runoff.  A bioretention pond is designed to slowly release clean water back into the watershed over a longer period of time that benefits the environment.

According to the Georgia Stormwater Manual (https://atlantaregional.org), “Bioslopes (also referred to as ecology embankments) are water quality best management practices that use a permeable engineered soil media to capture and treat stormwater runoff from adjacent paved areas.  Bioslopes are typically installed along embankments or other slopes and designed to treat sheet flow stormwater runoff.

Bioslopes are designed with limited longitudinal slopes to force the flow to be slow and uniform, thus allowing for particulates to settle and limiting the effects of erosion. Once infiltrated into the highly permeable engineered soil layer, an underdrain is typically used to remove the treated stormwater from the embankment or slope. Larger flow rates, from less frequent storm events, in the form of sheet flow bypass the engineered soil media by overtopping and continuing down the embankment or slope.