BACKGROUND:

The subdivision of Nooning Tree in the west suburbs of St. Louis was developed in the early 2000s. In the spring of 2022 a dam for a three acre pond was renovated and required permanent erosion protection against the occasional wave action. While rock riprap was originally specified, the access to the dam was a golf cart path that would not support transport of the riprap needed. DJM Ecological, the project contractor, recommended InstaTurf® ShearForce™10 hybrid turf instant armor mat as an alternative that could easily be hauled to the dam, be easier to install/maintain, be a more resident-friendly alternative to rock and cost significantly less.

SOLUTION:

Following the approval by the Civil Engineer at Cochran Engineering, DJM Ecological commenced ShearForce10 installation by preparing the dam face soils into an acceptable seedbed and applying a low-maintenance seed mix of native grasses and forbs. ShearForce10 was then installed along the dam face using 12-inch fabric pins, with matting edges placed and anchored 1-2 feet below the normal water line to prevent undermining from wave action.

RESULTS:

There was an approximate 50% cost savings vs installing the originally specified rock riprap. The project was completed in just a few days with a small, 4-person crew, pickup truck and a Bobcat loader. Because of the smaller, lighter-weight vehicles that were used, the seed and ShearForce10 were effortlessly transported and placed on the site without disturbing the existing grassed-in areas.

ShearForce10 provided immediate protection of the newly applied seed and soil from the wave action, allowing effective establishment of native vegetation. Over 2 years later the ShearForce10 remains in place within the native vegetation to protect soil between the bunch-type grasses and increase its long-term erosion resistance. The native vegetation that is now reinforced by ShearForce10 requires minimal, ongoing maintenance and will provide a user-friendly shoreline for the residents for years to come.