Using Soil Compost Amendments to Improve Stormwater Management
Among the proposed BMPs in the Virginia BMP Clearinghouse is Number 4: Soil Compost Amendment. The intent of the measure is to deeply till compacted soils and restore their porosity by amending them with compost. Intuitively, this is a great idea. In my own experience on a small scale, a tilled topsoil layer, rich in organics, can accept a large amount of water. With my rain barrels at home, I can empty 40 gallons of water in 15 minutes into a landscape area less than 9 square feet. Also, I think most of us have seen that construction, particularly in tight sites, essentially destroys the existing soil structure that made it permeable. I think that this measure will see a lot of use when the new regulations go into effect, as it can be credited with as much as a 50% reduction in runoff volume and phosphorus. [caption id="attachment_340" align="alignleft" width="300"]...
Continue Reading