Check Dam
A Summary of IECA Design Standard
The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has developed a design standard for temporary check dams. This standard is intended to guide stormwater professionals on the purpose, design, selection, installation, and maintenance of check dams when used as a temporary runoff control practice during construction to reduce channel velocity and shear stress acting on a channel boundary to minimize erosion. A check dam is a temporary barrier placed across a conveyance, typically constructed of porous materials such as rock or riprap, wattles, silt fence, sandbags, logs, compost filter sock, or other natural materials or manufactured products. The benefits of check dams include reduction in channel erosion, sedimentation of coarse particles, and to a lesser degree filtration of stormwater runoff. Consult with product specifications pertaining to manufactured check dams.
