The effectiveness of polyacrylamide in providing short-term erosion control on steep slopes /

• Main Author: Partington, Mark
• Other Authors: Mehuys, Guy (advisor)
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 2004
• Subjects: Soil conservation.; Roads > Embankments.; Forest roads.; Polyacrylamide.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=80348

A study was conducted to determine if polyacrylamide (PAM) could be utilized as a best management practice to reduce soil erosion on forest road embankments. Experiments involving two different PAM application rates (10 and 20 kg/ha) were conducted using natural rainfall in 2001 and 2002 and indoor rainfall simulation. In 2001, PAM was combined with a broadcast application of grass seed. === The study results suggest that PAM provided no statistically significant erosion control after natural rainfall on a loam soil. In the rainfall simulation experiments PAM applied at both 10 and 20 kg/ha significantly reduced soil erosion (by 75 and 77%) and the turbidity of runoff water (by 99%). PAM application at 10 kg/ha significantly increased grass densities (by 109%) compared with the control plots. However, PAM applied at 20 kg/ha provided no significant increase in grass density compared with the control.