Silt Fences: An Economical Technique

for Measuring Hillslope Soil Erosion

Peter R. Robichaud

Robert E. Brown

United States

Department

of Agriculture

Forest Service

Rocky Mountain

Research Station

General Technical

Report RMRS-GTR-94

August 2002
Robichaud, Peter R.; Brown, Robert E. 2002. Silt fences: an economical technique for measuring

hillslope soil erosion. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 24 p.

Abstract—Measuring hillslope erosion has historically been a costly, time-consuming practice. An easy to

install low-cost technique using silt fences (geotextile fabric) and tipping bucket rain gauges to measure

onsite hillslope erosion was developed and tested. Equipment requirements, installation procedures, statistical design, and analysis methods for measuring hillslope erosion are discussed. The use of silt fences is

versatile; various plot sizes can be used to measure hillslope erosion in different settings and to determine

effectiveness of various treatments or practices. Silt fences are installed by making a sediment trap facing

upslope such that runoff cannot go around the ends of the silt fence. The silt fence is folded to form a pocket

for the sediment to settle on and reduce the possibility of sediment undermining the silt fence. Cleaning out

and weighing the accumulated sediment in the field can be accomplished with a portable hanging or platform scale at various time intervals depending on the necessary degree of detail in the measurement of

erosion (that is, after every storm, quarterly, or seasonally). Silt fences combined with a tipping bucket rain

gauge provide an easy, low-cost method to quantify precipitation/hillslope erosion relationships. Trap efficiency of the silt fences are greater that 90 percent efficient, thus making them suitable to estimate hillslope

erosion.

Keywords—silt fence, erosion, erosion rate, sediment, measurement techniques, monitoring

The Authors

Peter R. Robichaud is a Research Engineer and Robert E. Brown is a Hydrologist with the Soil and Water

Engineering Research Work Unit, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 1221

South Main St., Moscow, ID 83843.

Acknowledgments

Many individuals assisted in installation of silt fences over the years. This includes personnel from the

Soil and Water Engineering Project as well as various National Forest personnel. David Turner, Statistician

with the Rocky Mountain Research Station, provided statistical assistance.

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1

Site Selection .......................................................................................................................... 2

 Defining Contributing Areas to Silt Fence....................................................................... 2

Silt Fence Plot Installation .................................................................................................... 4

Cleanout, Maintenance, and Schedule .................................................................................. 5

Additional Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 5

 Precipitation Measurements ............................................................................................. 5

 Ground Cover Measurements ........................................................................................... 7

Data Analysis and Interpretation: Statistical Design .......................................................... 7

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 8

References ............................................................................................................................... 8

Appendix A—Volume of Silt Fence Storage Capacity For Various Configurations of

 Ground Surface Slope, Silt Fence Height, and Width ................................................... 10

Appendix B—Common Silt Fence Specifications................................................................ 11

Appendix C—List of Suppliers for Silt Fences and Rain Gauges ...................................... 13

Appendix D—Equipment List .............................................................................................. 16

Appendix E—Example of Field Data Sheet ........................................................................ 17

Appendix F—Example of Field and Laboratory Spreadsheet............................................ 18

Appendix G—Example Data Taken From Onset Rain Gauge Datalogger ....................... 19

Appendix H—Statistical Analysis Procedure ..................................................................... 20
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 1

Introduction

Soil erosion is a major land management issue due

to stringent regulations on water quality and efforts to

reduce the impact of various activities on sedimentation. Surface erosion is the movement of individual

soil particles by a force, either by uniform removal of

material from the soil surface (sheet erosion) or by

concentrated removal of material in the downslope direction (rill erosion) (Foster 1982). Forces required to

initiate and sustain the movement of soil particles can

be from many sources, such as raindrop impact, overland flow, gravity, wind, and animal activity. Erosion

is a natural process; however, human or natural disturbances on the landscape generally increase surface erosion over natural levels. Erosion is reduced by all material on or above the soil surface, such as naturally

occurring vegetation, surface litter, duff, rocks, and

synthetic materials such as erosion mats, mulches, and

other barriers that reduce the impact of the applied

forces (McNabb and Swanson 1990; Megahan and

others 1986).

Erosion modeling techniques have been developed

to predict erosion following common disturbances.

Some of these models are not receiving widespread

use probably because they were not developed or validated for a particular condition or treatment of interest. Therefore, many government agencies, farmers,

industries, and consultants need an easy method to

measure hillslope erosion to validate model results as

well as need local information from their particular

conditions.

Soil erosion measuring techniques can be costly and

time consuming. Various techniques have been used

including rainfall simulation, erosion bridges, Gerlach

troughs, and small watershed measurement techniques.

Dissmeyer (1982) developed a protocol to measure

hillslope erosion with silt fences. His techniques have

been utilized and improved upon in this document. Less

expensive data recording equipment (such as, continuous recording tipping bucket rain gauges) has made it

easier for land managers to obtain their own erosion

rate data as well as information on the type of storms

that caused the erosion. This information can be used for

completing environmental assessment documentation.

Silt fences have been used to control surface erosion in the construction industry for several decades.

Also, silt fences have been used for instream sediment

control (Trow Consulting Engineers Ltd. 1996). A silt

fence is a synthetic geotextile fabric that is woven to

provide structural integrity (tensile strength 80 to 100

lb, 0.3 to 0.4 kN) with small openings (0.01 to 0.03

inch, 0.3 to 0.8 mm) that pass water but not sediment.

Silt fences have low permeability rates, which make

them suitable to form temporary detention storage areas allowing sediment to settle and water to pass

through slowly.

Hydraulic performance of silt fences has been measured by several researchers using flume studies

(Britton and others 2000, 2001; Jiang and others 1996).

They concluded that the maximum flow rate through

silt fences is a function of the head and is generally

small (0.01 to 0.46 ft3 sec-1or 0.00028 to 0.013 m3 sec-1).

Flume studies have shown silt fence trap efficiencies

ranging from 68 to 98 percent (Britton and others 2000,

2001; Wishowski and others 1998; Wyant 1980). A field

study of silt fence trap efficiency on an existing longterm hillslope erosion plot at the Agricultural Research Service Palouse Conservation Field Station

in Washington with a Palouse silt loam soil indicated

trap efficiency was 93 percent the first year when measured on a storm-by-storm basis and 92 percent efficient the second year when only measured at the end

of the runoff season (Robichaud and others 2001)

(tables 1 and 2).

This paper describes how erosion measurements can

be made with silt fences. Installation procedures, statistical design, analysis methods, and equipment requirements are discussed. Silt fences can be used to

compare erosion effects of silvicultural treatments,

farming practices, grazing systems, road or skid trail

erosion, vegetative or mechanical rehabilitation treatments, prescribed fires, and wildfires, as well as compare rates of naturally occurring erosion.

Silt Fences: An Economical Technique for

Measuring Hillslope Soil Erosion

Peter R. Robichaud

Robert E. Brown
2 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Table 1—First-year winter runoff and sediment data from a fallow agricultural plot with a silt fence. The silt fences

were cleaned after each runoff event (Robichaud and others 2001).

ı

- - - - - - - - - -Sediment collected- - - - - - - - - -ı ı- - - -Sediment yield- - - -ı

ı

- - -Flow thru to collection tank- - -ı

Sediment Collection Silt Collection Silt fence

Storm Runoff conc. tank fence tank Silt fence trap efficiency

date (mm) (mg L-1) (kg) (kg) (Mg ha -1) (Mg ha -1) (%)

9 Dec 96 11.4 346 0.08 0.5 0.040 0.25 87

12 Dec 96 .9 825 .02 2.6 .008 1.29 99

2 Jan 97 19.3 210 .08 NA a .041

18 Feb 97 4.5 7230 .66 6.9 .326 3.43 91

19 Feb 97 1.2 6251 .16 7.1 .077 3.52 98

10 Mar 97 2.3 0 0 1.9 .0 .95 100

17 Mar 97 3.7 5312 .39 1.1 .196 .53 73

Season 43.3 NA 1.39 20.1 .687 9.97 93

a No sediment was observed trapped in the silt fence due to snow cover.

Table 2—Second-year winter runoff and sediment data from a fallow agricultural plot with a silt fence. The silt fences

were only cleaned at the end of the runoff season (Robichaud and others 2001).

ı

- - - - - - - - - - - - -Sediment collected- - - - - - - - - - - -ı ı- - - - -Sediment yield- - - - -ı

ı

- - -Flow thru to collection tank- - -ı

Sed. Collection Silt fence

Storm Runoff conc. Tank Silt fence tank Silt fence trap efficiency

date (mm) (mg L-1) (kg) (kg) (Mg ha -1) (Mg ha -1) (%)

10 Nov 97 1.8 0 0 not collected 0

21 Nov 97 7.6 14,225 8.7 not collected 1.1

26 Nov 97 5.1 11,930 4.8 not collected .6

17 Dec 97 6.1 11,434 5.6 not collected .7

8 Jan 98 6.4 17,224 8.9 not collected 1.1

15 Jan 98 12.3 3,798 3.7 not collected .5

20 Jan 98 15.5 13,305 16.5 not collected 2.1

30 Jan 98 7.4 19,403 11.4 not collected 1.4

Season 62.2 NA 59.6 664 7.5 83.1 92

Site Selection

Silt fences work best when they are located on uniform slopes with minimal obstructions. The plots are

located to collect a defined contributing area by natural features (break in slope, rock outcrop, and so forth)

or introduced features such as a cross-felled log, roadway, or hand-dug trench. Properly installed silt fences

will withstand creeping snow during the winter months.

They can be on slopes ranging from 3 to 70 percent

(2 to 35∞). Study sites should be accessible so they can

be easily maintained. Materials can be carried by ATVs,

pack animals, vehicles, or backpack. Some of the locations where we have used silt fences receive more

than 10 ft (3 m) of snow on a 60+ percent (31∞) slope

and have held up well for collecting sediment associated with snowmelt events.

Defining Contributing Areas to

Silt Fence

Silt fences should only be used to determine natural

or management-induced hillslope erosion rates. Silt

fences are not designed to measure erosion rates in

continuous flows such as first-order streams. The
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 3

contributing area into a silt fence needs to be designed

so it does not overwhelm or overtop the silt fence. The

size of the contributing area varies depending on expected flow and sediment yield. It is sometimes difficult to determine the extent of the contributing area to

a particular silt fence. Therefore, a boundary at the top

of the plot is often needed. Typically, silt fences are

between 10 and 50 ft (3 and 15 m) across the hillslope,

and plot lengths upslope are 16 to 200 ft (5 to 61 m).

Contributing areas vary from 160 to 10,000 ft2 (15 to

930 m2). Carpenter (1999) suggests contributing areas

should not exceed 21,000 ft2 (1950 m2) for any application (such as construction sites) of silt fences. If the

contributing area is large, a second silt fence located

below the first silt fence may be used to trap any sediment that overflows the first silt fence. Typical plot

layouts are provided in figure1. Appendix A provides

calculated storage volume for various slopes, slope

lengths, and silt fence width combinations. This can

be helpful in determining silt fence size. Defining the

contributing area allows for converting the amount of

collected sediment to sediment volume-per-unit area

(ft3 ac-1 or m3 ha-1) or weight-per-unit area (t ac-1 or t

ha-1). When possible, use naturally occurring slope

breaks or swales that define the area contributing to

the silt fence installation. These can include insloped

roads, rock outcrops, and ridgelines. In some cases,

slightly convex heeled-in logs placed above the monitored area have been sufficient (fig. 1). There may be

additional flow into the silt fence through, for example,

snow bridging that is almost impossible to measure or

prevent.

Some researchers measure hillslope erosion without a defined area. They measure the amount of erosion that would pass a particular location on the

hillslope—that is, volume of sediment per unit width

Figure 1—Typical plot layout showing contribution areas and silt fences. Various

techniques to define the upper boundary of the contributing areas are shown:

(a) log barrier, (b) sheet metal, (c) hand trench, and (d) existing inslope road.

Contributing Area

Typical Spacing Silt Fence

3-5 ft (1-2 m)

Log Barrier

16 Gauge Sheet Metal

6 inches (10 cm) High

3-4 ft (1-1.3 m) Sections

Trench

6-8 inches (15-20 cm) Deep

4-6 inches (10-15 cm) Wide

Cross Drain

Contributing Area

Existing Insloped Road

Wooden Stakes

a)

b)

c) d)

Contributing Area
4 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

(ft3 ft-1 or m3 m-1) or weight per unit width (t ft-1 or t m-1).

These measurements are used when reporting a sediment flux on a hillslope.

Silt Fence Plot Installation

Specifications for suitable silt fences are provided

in appendix B. Silt fence fabric can be purchased at

building supply stores, regional distributors, and Webbased suppliers (see appendix C).

The silt fences are installed at the base of the plots

(fig. 1). Materials and tools needed for installations

are provide in appendix D. A trench 6 by 10 inches

(0.15 by 0.25 m) deep is dug along the contour with

the ends of the trough gently curving uphill to prevent

runoff from circumventing the silt fence (fig. 2). The

trench can be dug with hand tools such as a Pulaski or

a narrow blade shovel. The excavated material is placed

on the downhill side of the trench for later use in backfilling. The silt fence is laid out along the trench covering the bottom and uphill side of the trench (fig. 2).

The excavated soil is now used to backfill the trench.

Tamping the soil along the entire length of the silt fence

is necessary to compact the soil against the silt fence,

thus preventing the silt fence from being pulled out by

the flowing water. Fold the silt fence downslope 6 to

12 inches (0.15 to 0.3 m) over the compacted soil to

form a pocket for sediment storage.

Install wooden stakes or alternatively #3 re-bars or

metal fence stakes such that 18 to 30 inches (0.46 to

0.76 m) of the silt fence will be against the upright

stake so it can be fastened securely. The stakes should

be driven at least 12 inches (0.3 m) deep and should be

spaced 3 to 5 ft (0.9 to 1.5 m) apart. If the silt fence has

sewn-in loops for wooden stakes, additional stakes can

be located between them. The silt fence can be attached

to the stake with 0.5 inch (13 mm) staples through a

protective strip of asphalt paper 2 inches (50 mm) wide

by the length of the exposed stake to reduce tearing or

by using roofing/siding insulation nails with plastic

washers (fig. 2). Staples should be placed diagonally

covering multiple horizontal fabric strands to minimize

tearing. Alternatively, wire or plastic zip ties can be

used. They should also straddle multiple strands.

Figure 2—Step-by-step installation procedure for silt fences.

3. Compact soil back into trench

to hold fabric.

2. Lay fabric along bottom and uphill

side of trench.

4-6 inches (10-15 cm)

6-8 inches (15-20 cm)

6 inches (15 cm)

4. Drive stakes 4-6 ft (1-2 m) 

apart and 6 inches (15 cm) 

below trench.

1. Dig trench and place fill 

downhill.

6. Sediment accumulated 

behind silt fence.

5. Attach fabric to stakes 

to form a storage area to 

catch sediment.

a) wire or plastic

zip ties

b) staples

c) roofing nails

with plastic washers
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 5

Caution should be urged when using this connection

method to prevent large gaps and tears. If gaps or tears

occur, attach a patch of fabric over the problem area

and seal with construction adhesive or silicon. Staples

or notches cut into the wooden stakes prevent the ties

from slipping downward. Additional stakes can be

added to reinforce and stabilize the silt fence especially

in suspect locations. If high snow loads are expected,

cross-braces between the vertical stakes can be used.

Remove any remaining loose soil on the uphill side

of the silt fence and in the pocket that was formed and

smooth out the existing soil. This will ensure that the

existing soil surface is easily identifiable when

cleaning the trapped sediment. Construction or plumber

chalk is often used on the compact soil above the silt

fence to aid in defining the boundary between the native ground surface and the deposited sediment. Red

chalk sprinkled over the potential deposit area so that

the ground surface appears red has shown the best

results for most soil types.

Cleanout, Maintenance,

and Schedule

Periodic cleanout of the silt fences is required to

obtain reliable measurements of erosion. Depending

on the need for accuracy, one can clean out silt fences

after each storm, monthly, or twice a year. Cleaning

the silt fences following every storm improves the prediction accuracy of the storms that produce erosion.

Noticeable degradation of the fabric from sunlight

in harsh environments can occur after 2 or 3 years.

These erosion measuring structures are temporary and

can only be expected to perform properly for a maximum of 3 to 5 years depending on weather conditions.

After numerous trials of different sediment measurement techniques, including accumulation survey methods and sediment bulk density measurements, we have

concluded that the direct measurement of the total

weight of the sediment is the most accurate (see appendix D for materials and tools needed for cleanout).

The sediment is weighed and recorded in the field using a plastic bucket (5 gal, 19 l). A sample data collection sheet is in appendix E. A hoe or hand trowel is

used to scrape the deposited sediment into the container,

discarding large sticks, cones, and other organic debris. Care must be used when cleaning the silt fence

pocket to not tear or puncture the fabric. Also, careful

scraping is needed to prevent removing native soil. Dig

down to the colored soil, if chalk was used at installation or during last cleanout. Place the sediment into

the container and weigh in the field with a hanging or

platform parcel scale (scale with 0.5 or 1 lb, 0.2 to 0.4

kg) increments with a maximum capacity of 80 to 100

lb (36 to 45 kg). Weigh each bucket and place a

subsample (0.1 lb, 50 g) into a soil tin or recloseable

plastic bag for water content determination in the

office or laboratory. The remaining material can be discarded downhill of the silt fence study area. Use a hand

brush or broom to clean all sediment from the silt fence

pocket.

The water content of the sediment needs to be subtracted from the field-collected sediment weight to

obtain the corrected dry weight. Back at the office or

laboratory, preferably on the same day, record wet

weights of the subsample using a scale with an accuracy of tenths of grams or one-hundredths of ounces

(laboratory scale or a postal scale). The subsamples

can then be dried in an oven at 221 ∞F (105 ∞C) for 24

hours. Weigh the dry subsample and calculate gravimetric water content as shown in appendix F. If additional nutrient, organic matter, or particle size information on the sediment is desired, take additional

subsamples for later processing.

Additional Data Collection

Precipitation Measurements

Precipitation collection methods can vary from expensive to low cost. Only low-cost methods will be

discussed in this paper. A tipping bucket rain gauge

provides information on the rainfall intensity and

amount (fig. 3). A storage-type rain gauge provides

cumulative precipitation only. For snow zone application, an antifreeze-filled siphon attachment can be

added to the top of a tipping bucket rain gauge. Antifreeze can also be added to the storage-type rain gauge.

The antifreeze will melt the snow and provide the snow

water equivalent. Windscreens or windshields are appropriate for open areas to aid in an accurate catch of

precipitation. In forested areas they are generally not

needed because the horizontal wind component is subdued due to standing timber. Rain gauges are installed

near the silt fence erosion plots (less than 500 ft, 160 m

away) so they will be above estimated winter snowpack depth and not directly under tree canopy.

Tipping bucket rain gauges with a data pod (data

logger) became available in 2001 for under $300 and

provide excellent records of the rainfall intensity, event

amount, and time of the event (fig. 3). Commercial

software included with the rain gauge makes downloading and displaying this information easy. Tipping

bucket rain gauges are usually installed on a stump,

metal pole (1 inch, 2.5 cm diameter), wooden post (4 by
6 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

4 inches, 10 by 10 cm), or a polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

pipe (4 inches, 10 cm diameter) standing on end with a

metal platform on top on which to install the rain

gauge. The other end is buried in the ground at least

2 ft (0.6 m).

Storage-type rain gauges are installed similarly to

tipping bucket rain gauges. Alternatively, a section of

4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) diameter PVC pipe, edge

sharpened on one end and capped on the other, can be

a low-cost storage rain gauge (fig. 4). The PVC pipe

needs to be at least 2 ft (0.6 m) longer than predicted

snow depth, and a PVC cap glued in place on the bottom needs to be water tight. PVC pipe can be attached

vertically to a stump or a set post. Either type of storage gauge should be filled about one-third full with a

50:50 mix of nontoxic, recreational vehicle (RV) type

antifreeze and a thin skin (1

⁄8 inch, 3 mm) of mineral

oil placed on the surface to reduce evaporation losses.

Amounts of antifreeze will vary depending on predicted

precipitation amounts and expected low temperatures.

Depth changes from the top of the rain gauge to the

surface of the fluid provide the precipitation amounts.

Intervals of measurement can vary depending on the

application but should be at least semiannual and perhaps as frequently as each storm event.

Tipping bucket rain gauge data can be summarized

by counting the number of tips (rainfall depth) for various time intervals. Typical intervals include 5, 10, 30,

and 60 minutes of maximum rainfall intensity during a

given rainfall event. This information can be obtained

by counting the maximum number of tips for that time

interval (see example in appendix G). Most tipping

bucket rain gauge software provides a time stamp with

the number of tips occurring during that interval (for

example, five tips in 1 minute, three tips for the next

1-minute interval, seven tips for the next 1-minute interval, two tips for the next 1-minute interval, and three

for the next 1-minute interval for a total of 20 tips in

Figure 3—Three commercially available tipping bucket rain gauges (see

appendix B for suppliers).

Figure 4—A hand-built storage-type

rain gauge.

Beveled Edge

4 inches (10 cm) PVC

0.5 inch (1 cm) Oil

7 ft (2.3 m)

Watertight

PVC Cap

Water & 

Antifreeze

Mix
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 7

5-minute interval). The maximum intensity is calculated

by adding the number of tips for the desired interval converting the tips to depth of rainfall (inches or mm).

Ground Cover Measurements

Exposed bare soil on the hillslope is the most important soil factor affecting erosion rates. It is important to measure bare soil exposed or conversely ground

cover, especially if the study is addressing vegetation

recovery or seeding effectiveness. Bare soil exposed

and ground cover can be measured with various techniques. Chambers and Brown (1983) described these

techniques in detail. Ocular measurements are estimated directly or divided into percentage classes (0 to

15, 15 to 30, 30 to 50, 50 to 70, 70 to 90, greater than

90 percent) of the area of interest, such as 1/100th acre

(0.004 ha) subplots.

Gridded metal or wooden frames are used for the

point-quadrant method. They usually have intersecting lines (string or twine) at 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm)

intervals for a 10 ft2 (1 m2) area (thus, for a 4 by 4 inch

grid in a 3 by 3 ft frame, there are 64 intersecting lines

excluding the frame). The frame is randomly located

(three to seven times) within the contributing area of

interest. The corners of the frame can be marked with

wood stakes or re-bar so the frame can be placed in the

same location during subsequent measurements. Alternatively, the line-intercept method can be used.

However, this technique is generally used for larger

areas. Typical ground cover classes include bare soil, litter, duff, gravel, rock, live vegetation, stumps, and logs.

Data Analysis and

Interpretation:

Statistical Design

Achieving a sound statistical design for silt fence

erosion plots is difficult due to high variability. Nearing

and others (1999) concluded that variability in erosion

plot data increases as the magnitude of the soil loss

increases. Thus, a few large events make comparison

between treatments difficult.

The number of replications needed to detect significant differences in treatment effects depends on several factors, including the inherent variability of the

site; natural variability (that is, microtopography,

microscale burn severity differences, root holes, soil

texture, rock content, and so forth); the allowable type

I error (usually a = 0.05 or a = 0.10); the probability

of accepting a false hypothesis, known as power of the

test and denoted by 1 - b; the magnitude of differences

to be detected; and the distribution of the data (normal

distribution). Most common analyses begin by

assuming normally distributed data. For silt fence erosion data, this is generally not a reasonable assumption

for two reasons: first the data are often highly skewed

to the right (a few large events); secondly, there may

be many zeroes (rain events that did not produce any

sediment). Such departures from normality suggest log

transformation of the data before analysis. Alternatively, nonparametric procedures, for nonnormal data

distributions, may be more appropriate for testing the

equality of medians (middle value of the data), rather

than the more usual t-test or analysis of variance for

means, (see appendix H).

If there are few zeros, departures from normality

may be helped by log transformation of the data before analysis. A better choice may be nonparametric

procedures, more appropriate for testing the equality

of median (middle value of the data), rather than more

familiar t-test or analysis of variance of means. An easily implemented nonparametric analysis for silt fence

erosion data is the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test

(equivalent to a one-way analysis of variance on the

ranks of the original data) (Ott 1988; Walpole and

Myers 1985). This tests the equality of medians for

several treatments.

Most erosion scientists use five to seven replications

for erosion plot studies. Nearing and others (1999) suggest comparing only treatments that will have large

differences in soil loss because small differences would

require too many replications to be practical. They suggest five replications per treatment as a minimum. If

comparing two treatments, then nine replications per

treatment would be needed. The number of replications is based on the expected magnitudes of the mean

differences between treatments as well as the underlying variability (measured by the variance) for the particular sites, soils, and treatments under consideration.

We have developed suggestions for various scenarios

that may be of interest assuming similar landscape,

soils, elevation, slope, and topography. Generally, silt

fences will be monitored for 2 to 3 years, thus changes

in erosion rates over time can also be detected.

Scenario 1—Timber Harvesting Effects: To determine erosion amounts for various activities within

a timber sales unit, identify the various activities (treatments) that occur within the sale boundary. These could

include log-landing areas, haul road, repeatedly used

skid trail, few pass skid trail, and control (undisturbed)

areas. One would need to reduce the number of treatments to two and a control to be able to make a reasonable statistical design. For example, nine silt fences on
8 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

the haul road; nine silt fences on the repeatedly used

skid trail, and the remaining nine silt fences for the

control. The total of 27 silt fences would be monitored for 3 years.

Scenario 2—Testing Seeding Mixes Post Wildfire:

To determine erosion rates for two seeding mixes (seed

mix A and seed mix B) and a control (no seeding)

after a wildfire. In this scenario, ground cover would

also need to be measured (described in the “Additional

Data Collection” section). Thus, nine replications of

each treatment would be needed. The total of 27 silt

fences would be monitored for 3 years.

Scenario 3—Comparing Prescribed Fire or Wildfire Erosion Rates: To determine erosion amounts

from a prescribe fire or wildfire and a control (no fire).

Thus, five replications of each treatment would be

needed. This total of 10 silt fences would be monitored for 2 years.

Silt fence data can be organized and analyzed using

a computer spreadsheet (appendix F). Calculate the

sediment amounts for each collection period and convert to weight per area. Determine rainfall amounts and

rainfall intensity for that collection period. Compare

sediment yields with rainfall amounts and/or intensity,

remembering that rainfall can vary over short distances.

Variability in the data is to be expected; there are inherent variations in soils, below ground organic matter, and so forth, that can influence sediment output.

That variability, combined with the effects of the treatment, can make interpreting the results challenging. If

a statistically designed layout was used then it will be

easier to develop and run a statistically valid analysis.

Each collection period may be a “repeated measure”

for the same silt fence during the study period.

Summary

Silt fences are an economical method to obtain

hillslope erosion measurements. They can be installed

with a small field crew and maintained at various

time intervals, depending on the storm production

accuracy of the information that is desired. When

installed and maintained properly, they can trap and

store sediment until it is cleaned out and measured.

Erosion measurements from silt fences can be used

to validate model estimates, demonstrate treatment

or management practice effects, and compare seeding treatments on hillslope erosion.

References

ASTM. 1995. D 4751-95 Standard Test Method for determining

apparent opening size of a geotextile. Annual book of ASTM

standards, Vol. 4.09. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM: 983–987.

ASTM. 1996. D 4491-96 Standard Test Methods for water

permeability of geotextiles by permittivity. Annual book of

ASTM standards, Vol. 04.09. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM:

945–950.

Britton, Sherry L.; Robinson, Kerry M.; Barfield, Billy J.; Kadavy,

K. C. 2000. Silt fence performance testing. Presented at: Annual

meeting of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers;

2000 July. Paper 002162. St. Joseph, MI: American Society of

Agricultural Engineers. 11 p.

Britton, Sherry L.; Robinson, Kerry M.; Barfield, Billy J. 2001.

Modeling the effectiveness of silt fence. In: Proceedings:

Seventh Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference; 2001

March 25-29; Reno, NV. Vol. 2. U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Natural Resources Conservation Service: V/75–82.

Carpenter, Thomas. 1999. Silt fence that works for designers,

installers, inspectors. In: Carpenter Erosion Control. Steamboat

Springs, CO: International Erosion Control Association. 56 p.

Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brown, Ray W. 1983. Methods for

vegetation sampling and analysis on revegetated mined lands.

Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-151. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range

Experiment Station. 57 p.

Conover, W. J. 1971. Practical nonparametric statistics. New York:

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 962 p.

Conover, W. J.; Iman, Ronald. 1981. Rank transformation as a

bridge between parametric and nonparametric statistics. The

American Statistician. 35: 124–133.

Dissmeyer, G. E. 1982. How to use fabric dams to compare erosion

from forestry practices. Forestry Rep. SA-FR 13. Atlanta, GA:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeast

Areas. 11 p.

Dissmeyer, G. E.; Foster, G. R. 1980. A guide for predicting sheet

and rill erosion on forest lands. Tech. Publ. SA-TP 11. Atlanta,

GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeast

Areas. 40 p.

Foster, G. R. 1982. Modeling the erosion process. In: Haan, C. T.;

Johnson, H. P.; Brakensiek, D. L., eds. Hydrologic modeling

of small watersheds. St. Joseph, MI: American Society of

Agricultural Engineers: chapter 8.

Hahn, Gerald J.; Meeker, William Q. 1991. Statistical intervals: a

guide for practitioners. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

416 p.

Jiang, Naiqian; Hirschi, Michael C.; Cooke, Richard A. C.;

Mitchell, J. Kent. 1996. Equation for flow through filter

fabric. Presented at: Annual meeting of the American Society

of Agricultural Engineers; 1996 July. Paper 962098. St.

Joseph, MI: American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

14 p.

McNabb, David H.; Swanson, Frederick J. 1990. Effects of fire

on soil erosion. In: Natural and prescribed fire in Pacific

Northwest forests. Walstad, John D.; [and others], eds.

Corvallis: Oregon State University Press: 159–176.

Megahan, Walter F.; Seyedbagheri, Kathleen A.; Mosko, Timothy L.;

Ketcheson, Gary L. 1986. Construction phase sediment budget

for forest roads on granitic slopes in Idaho. In: Hadley, Richard

F., ed. Drainage basin sediment delivery, proceedings; 1986;

Albuquerque, NM. IAHS Publ. 159. Wallingford, Oxon, UK:

31–39.

Nearing, Mark A.; Gover, Gerard; Norton, L. Darrell. 1999.

Variability in soil erosion data from replicated plots. Soil

Science Society of America Journal. 63: 1829–1835.

Ott, Lyman. 1988. An introduction to statistical methods and data

analysis. 3d ed. Boston, MA: PWS-Kent Publishing Co. 835 p.

Robichaud, P. R.; McCool, D. K.; Pannkuk, C. D.; Brown, R. E.;

Mutch, P. W. 2001. Trap efficiency of silt fences used in hillslope

erosion studies. In: Ascough, J. C., II; Flanagan, D. C., eds. Soil

erosion research for the 21st century, proceedings; 2001;

Honolulu, HI. St. Joseph, MI: American Society of Agricultural

Engineers: 541–543.
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 9

Trow Consulting Engineers Ltd. 1996. Instream sediment control

techniques field implementation manual. FG-007. South

Porcupine, Ontario (Canada): Ministry of Natural Resources,

Northeast Science and Technology. 109 p.

Walpole, Ronald E.; Myers, Raymond H. 1985. Probability and

statistics for engineers and scientists. 3d ed. New York:

Macmillan Publishing Co. 639 p.

Wishowskie, J. M.; Mamo, M.; Bubenzer, G. D. 1998. Trap

efficiencies of filter fabric fence. Presented at: Annual meeting

American Society of Agricultural Engineers; 1998 July. Paper

982158. St. Joseph, MI: American Society of Agricultural

Engineers. 14 p.

Wyant, D. C. 1980. Evaluation of filter fabrics for use as silt fences.

VHTRC 80-R49. Charlottesville: Virginia Highway and

Transportation Research Council.
10 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Appendix A—Volume of Silt Fence Storage Capacity For Various

Configurations of Ground Surface Slope, Silt Fence Height, and

Width

Silt fence maximum holding capacities (ft3)

Silt fence Ground surface slope

(%)

Height Width

ft ft 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70

1.5 10 177 88 59 44 35 29 25 22 20 18 16 15 14 13

1.5 20 353 177 118 88 71 59 50 44 39 35 32 29 27 25

1.5 30 530 265 177 133 106 88 76 66 59 53 48 44 41 38

1.5 40 707 353 236 177 141 118 101 88 79 71 64 59 54 50

1.5 50 884 442 295 221 177 147 126 110 98 88 80 74 68 63

2.0 10 314 157 105 79 63 52 45 39 35 31 29 26 24 22

2.0 20 628 314 209 157 126 105 90 79 70 63 57 52 48 45

2.0 30 942 471 314 236 188 157 135 118 105 94 86 79 72 67

2.0 40 1,257 628 419 314 251 209 180 157 140 126 114 105 97 90

2.0 50 1,571 785 524 393 314 262 224 196 175 157 143 131 121 112

2.5 10 491 245 164 123 98 82 70 61 55 49 45 41 38 35

2.5 20 982 491 327 245 196 164 140 123 109 98 89 82 76 70

2.5 30 1,473 736 491 368 295 245 210 184 164 147 134 123 113 105

2.5 40 1,963 982 654 491 393 327 280 245 218 196 178 164 151 140

2.5 50 2,454 1,227 818 614 491 409 351 307 273 245 223 205 189 175

Silt fence maximum holding capacities (m3

)

Silt fence Ground surface slope

(%)

Height Width

(m) (m) 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70

0.45 3 5 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

.45 6 10 5 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

.45 9 14 7 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1

.45 12 19 10 6 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1

.45 15 24 12 8 6 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2

.60 3 8 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1

.60 6 17 8 6 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1

.60 9 25 13 8 6 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2

.60 12 34 17 11 8 7 6 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 2

.60 15 42 21 14 11 8 7 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 3

.75 3 13 7 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

.75 6 27 13 9 7 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2

.75 9 40 20 13 10 8 7 6 5 4 4 43 3 3

.75 12 53 27 18 13 11 9 8 7 6 5 5 4 4 4

.75 15 66 33 22 17 13 11 9 8 7 7 6 6 5 5
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 11

The following terms are used for silt fence specifications related to the trap efficiency (ASTM 1995,

1996). Table B1 provides specifications for various silt

fences. These silt fences should perform well for most

soil conditions. Generally, lower permittivity valued

silt fences will trap more sediment but water flow rates

are also reduced.

Permittivity

Permittivity of geotextiles is a measurement of the

amount of water per unit cross-sectional area per unit

head that flows through the geotextile, without any

extra force on the water (laminar flow conditions). It

is an indicator of the quantity of water that can pass

through a geotextile in an isolated condition. Because

there are geotextiles of various thickness, evaluation

in terms of the permeability can be misleading. It is

more significant to evaluate the quantity of water that

will flow through the material under a given head over

a particular area; this is expressed as permittivity. The

units of permittivity are sec-1. This is derived from the

formula for permittivity:

Permittivity = Q/(h*A*t)

Where Q is the quantity of water flow through silt fence

fabric (inch3, mm3), h is the head of water on the silt

fence (inch, mm), A is the cross-sectional area (inch2,

mm2), and t is the time for flow, Q, (sec).

Water Flow Rate

The Water Flow Rate of a geotextile is a measurement of the volume of water that will pass through the

Appendix B—Common Silt Fence Specifications

material per unit time per unit area. The units are (commonly) gal min-1 ft-2 (L min-1 m-2). Unlike permittivity, this value will be affected by thickness of the fabric and other factors such as apparent opening size

(AOS).

Apparent Opening Size (AOS)

The AOS of a geotextile is a property that approximates the largest particle that will effectively pass

through the fabric. It is figured by using the geotextile

as a filter and sifting various (standardized) sizes of

glass beads through the material. This is an important

characteristic when designing silt fences because it is

crucial that the AOS be small enough that it will hold

back nearly all of the sediment, while at the same time

not clog easily and allow water to pass through. The

AOS is measured in a standard U.S. Sieve number (20

to 80) with 20 being a large opening and 80 being small.

Equivalent values include:

Sieve number equivalencies

Sieve Opening size

no. inch mm

20 0.033 0.840

30 .023 .590

40 .017 .420

50 .012 .297

60 .010 .250

70 .008 .210

80 .007 .177
12 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Manufactor and Permittivity

 Product Design (sec-1) (gal min -1 ft-2) (L min-1 m-2) (US Sieve) (mm)

Agri Drain

Biotech 760 0.45 30 1225 20 0.850

NILEX

2130 (Amoco Fabric) 0.05 10 405 30 0.600

910 (SI Industries) 0.20 15 610 20 0.850

915 (SI Industries) 0.40 25 1020 40 0.425

Amoco

Style 2130 0.05 10 405 30 0.600

Exxon

GTF 100S NA 125 5095 50-70 .40-.20

ADS

ADS 3302WP / 3302WT 0.01 50 2035 20 0.840

TC Mirafi

Silt Fence 0.10 10 405 30 0.600

(stakes attached)

100X 0.10 10 405 30 0.600

LINQ Indust. Fabrics

GTF 170 0.05 20 815 20 0.850

GTF 180 0.05 7 285 20 0.850

(GTF 170 and 180 differ in strength)

GTF 190 0.07 12 490 30 0.600

GTF 200S 0.07 12 490 50 0.300

Belton Industries (available in 3 different colors)

751 / 894 / 897 0.10 15 610 30 0.600

(dimensions differ)

755 / 890 NA 25 1020 30 0.600

(dimensions differ)

806 / 810 0.20 20 815 20 0.850

(dimensions differ)

DGI Industries

P - Series 0.10 10 405 30 0.600

BIG R

(Mutual Industries Fabric)

Mutual MISF180 NA 30 1225 40 0.425

Typical

Burst Strength 160-400 Psi (100-2760 Kpa)

Puncture Strength 25-90 lbs (0.11-0.40 kN)

Tensile Strength 80-180 lbs (0.35-0.80 kN)

Water Flow Rate AOS

Table B1—Specifications related to trap efficiency of silt fences. Typical strength characteristics are also provided.
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 13

This list of products and businesses is provided as

an information tool only and does not imply endorsement by the Forest Service or the U.S. Department of

Agriculture. All listed prices were as of 2002.

Silt Fence Distributors

ACF Environmental (Amoco Fabrics)

2831 Cardwell Road

Richmond, VA 23234

Toll free: 1-800-448-3636

Web: www.acfenvironmental.com

Big R Manufacturing & Distributing (Mutual Industries Distributor)

P.O. Box 1290

Greeley, CO 80632-1290

Toll free: 1-800-234-0734

Fax: (970) 356-9621

Web: www.bigrmfg.com/construc.htm

Cobb Lumber Co. (LINQ Industrial Fabrics Distributor)

P.O. Box 808

Timpson, TX 75975

Toll free: 1-888-322-2622

Fax: (936) 254-2763

Web: www.cobblumber.com

Liberty Equipment Co. (Belton Industries Distributor)

10879 Houser Drive

Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Tel: (540) 898-8933

Fax: (540) 898-8650

Web: www.libertyequipment.com

Nilex Corp. (Amoco & SI Fabrics with custom stakes)

15171 E. Fremont Drive

Englewood, CO 80112

Tel: (303) 766-2000

Edmonton (780) 463-9535

Calgary (403) 543-5454

Vancouver (604) 420-6433

Winnipeg (204) 925-4466

Web: www.nilex.com

Silt Fence Manufacturers

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. a

3300 Riverside Drive

Columbus, OH 43221

Tel: (614) 457-3051

Fax: (614) 538-5204

Web: www.ads-pipe.com

Agri Drain Co. a

Toll Free: 1-800-232-4742

Fax: 1-800-282-3353

Web: www.agridrain.com

Belton Industries, Inc. a

8613 Roswell Rd.

Atlanta, GA 30350

Tel: (770) 587-0257

Toll Free: 1-800-225-4099

Fax: (770) 992-6361

Toll Free: 1-800-851-4029

E-mail: engineeringsales@beltonindustries.com

Web: www.beltonindustries.com

DGI Industries a

P.O. Box 70

Bennington, NH 03442

Tel: (603) 641-2850

Toll Free: 1-888-745-8344

Fax: (603) 669-6991 (24 hour)

Web: www.dgiindustries.com

Exxon Chemical Americas

2100 River Edge Parkway, Suite 1025

Atlanta, GA 30328-4654

Toll Free: 1-800-543-9966

LINQ Industrial Fabrics, Inc.

2550 West Fifth North Street

Somerville, SC 29483-9699

Tel: (843) 873-5800

Toll Free: 1-800-445-4675

Fax: (843) 875-8111

E-mail: linq@linqind.com

Web: www.linqind.com

Appendix C—List of Suppliers for Silt Fences and Rain Gauges
14 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Mutual Industries, Inc. a

707 W. Grange St.

Philadelphia, PA 19120

Tel: (215) 927-6000

Toll Free: 1-800-523-0888

Fax: (215) 927-8888

E-mail: team1@mutualindustries.com

Web: www.mutualindustries.com

SI Geosolutions

6025 Lee Highway, Suite 435

Chattanooga, TN 37421

Toll Free: 1-800-621-0444

Fax: (423) 899-7619

Web: www.fixsoil.com

Database of representatives on Web site

TC Mirafi

Lake Forest, CA

Tel: (949) 859-2850

Web: www.tcmirafi.com

Database of representatives/distributors on Web site

Note: Many of the companies listed sell silt fences with

stakes preattached, sometimes at buyer’s specified intervals; otherwise they are generally 4 to 10 ft (1.2 to 3 m)

apart. Additional stakes can easily be added between

the preattached stakes.

Local lumberyards or building suppliers may have

silt fence fabric or can obtain it.

a

 Sells factory direct.

Rain Gauges

Onset Computer Corp.

P.O. Box 3450

Pocasset, MA 02559-3450

Tel: (508) 759-9500

Toll Free: 1-800-564-4377

Fax: (508) 759-9100

E-mail: sales@onsetcomp.com

Web: www.onsetcomp.com (Online ordering available)

Data Logging Rain Gauge Model RG2 (English version) and RG2-M (metric version) are fully self-contained, battery-powered rainfall data collection and

recording systems. They include a HOBO Event data

logger integrated into a tipping-bucket rain gauge. The

RG2 automatically records up to 80 inches (160 cm

for the RG2-M) of rainfall data that can be used to

determine rainfall rates, times, and duration. A time

and date stamp is stored for each 0.01 inches (0.2 mm

for the RG2-M) tip event for detailed analysis. Price:

$380 (2002). HOBO Event Logger Price: $85 (2002)

(can be attached to RainWise Rain Gauge, as well as

Davis Instruments Rain Collector).

Required Software: Boxcar Pro or Boxcar 3.0+

starter kits include software, PC interface cable and

manual. Price: Boxcar Pro 4.0 Windows Starter Kit $95

(2002), Boxcar 3.7 Windows Starter Kit $14 (2002).

Boxcar Pro for MAC OS free on Web site, Mac Interface Cable $9 (2002).

RainWise Inc.

25 Federal Street

Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Tel: (207) 288-5169

Toll Free: 1-800-762-5723

Fax: (207) 288-3477

E-mail: sales@rainwise.com

Web: www.rainwise.com (Online ordering available)

RainWise provides a large selection of rain gauges

and data loggers that can be purchased as a single unit

or bought separately then assembled. They are capable

of recording 0.01 inch of rainfall as well as putting a

time and date stamp at specified intervals during an

event. Total System (rain gauge and built-in logger):

Rain Logger Price: $295 (2002), Tipping Bucket Rain

Gauge (wired) Price: $69.95 (2002), Data Logger Price:

$120 (2002).

A PC interface cable and necessary software is included with the Rain Logger and the information can

easily be exported into a spreadsheet for graphing and

other data analysis. Also, software is available for

download from the RainWise Web site.

Spectrum

23839 W. Andrew Rd.

Plainfield, IL 60544

Tel: (815) 436-4440

Toll Free: 1-800-248-8873

Fax: (815) 436-4460

E-mail: info@specmeters.com

Web: www.specmeters.com (Online ordering available)

Spectrum’s Data Logging Rain Gauge provides high

accuracy with a low-maintenance tipping bucket design. The logger records accumulated rainfall during

each interval, maximum of 2.55 inches per interval.

User selected intervals are 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, and 120

minutes. Logger capacity is 7,000 intervals.

Use with SpecWare 6 Software for analysis and reporting. WatchDog rain collectors and SpecWare

Software can be programmed to record rainfall in
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 15

either English (inches) or metric (mm) units. The rain

gauge and data logger may also be purchased separately and assembled.

Total System (gauge and built-in logger): Data Logging Rain Gauge Price: $199 (2002), Digital Tipping

Bucket Rain Gauge Price: $74.95 (2002), WatchDog115 Rain Logger Price: $85 (2002).

Required Software: Specware 6.0 Software (includes

PC interface cable) Price: $99.

Davis Instruments

4701 Mount Hope Drive

Baltimore, MD 21215

Tel: (410) 358-3900

Toll Free: 1-800-988-4895

Fax: (410) 358-0252

Toll Free Fax: 1-800-433-9971

E-mail: sales@davisontheweb.com

Web: www.davis.com

The Rain Collector II measures rainfall in 0.01 inch

increments in the English version and 0.2 mm in the

metric version. Can be outfitted with data logger (see

Onset Inc. for HOBO even logger). Davis Rain Collector II-English or Metric Rain Collector II Price: $75

(2002).

Ben Meadows Company (Distributor)

Subsidiary of Lab Safety Supply Inc.

P.O. Box 5277

Janesville, WI 53547-5277

Tel: (608) 743-8001

Toll Free: 1-800-241-6401

Toll Free Fax: 1-800-628-2068

E-mail: mail@benmeadows.com

Web: www.benmeadows.com (Online ordering available)

Ben Meadows is a distributor of different rain gauges

and weather monitoring equipment. The Onset Data

Logging Rain Gauge, the Rainwise Tipping Bucket

Rain Gauge, the Davis Rain Collector, and the Onset

HOBO Event Logger are available.
16 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Silt Fence Installation Tools

• Shovels (square and round nosed type)

• Pulaski

• Hand trowels

• Claw hammer

• Sledgehammer

• Heavy-duty stapler

• Flagging

• Pin flags

• Measuring tape

• Steel cap for driving wooden stakes

• Caulking gun

Silt Fence Installation Supplies

• Wooden stake (2 by 2 inches by 4 ft, 5 by 5 cm by

1.2 m)

• Silt fence fabric (100 ft by 36 inches or 42 inches,

30 m by 0.9 or 1.1 m) rolls, 42 inch width preferred

• Staples (0.5 inch, 1 cm), or roofing nails (1 inch,

2.5 cm) with plastic washers, or 16-gauge wire or

plastic zip ties (10 inches, 25 cm)

• Tar paper strips or plastic strips

• Red construction chalk (1 gal, 4 l)

• Construction adhesive or silicon

Sediment Cleanout Tools

• Hanging or platform scale (fish scale: capacity 50 lb

with 1-lb increment, 22 kg with 0.2-kg)

• Shovel (square nosed)

• Hand brush or broom

• Hand trowel (it is best to round-over sharp corners

and points with file or grinder, so it does not catch

the fabric)

• Notebook/data sheets (waterproof) and pencils

• Red construction chalk (1 gal, 4 l)

• Tripod or tree branch or metal angle tied to tree for

hanging scale

• Extra silt fence fabric (for repairs)

• Plastic wire ties (100)

• Construction adhesive or silicon caulk

• 4 plastic buckets (5 gal, 19 l)

Appendix D—Equipment List

Figure D1—Steel cap for pounding

wooden stakes into the ground.
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 17

Appendix E—Example of Field Data Sheet

Silt Fence Cleanout Field Datasheet Page of 

Date Location Recorder

Contributing area

Raingauge depth and tipping bucket data

field scale

Scale used Scale units

Bucket # Tare weight

1

2

3

4

5

Bucket

sample #

Tare wt

sed wt

col3-col4

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Remarks: Include repairs needed and made. Supplies needed for next visit. 

field scale units

Whitehorse #2, seeded John, Paul, Ringo

1 1

12-Jul-01

1/10 acre

2 ft 3 1/16 inches from top

Field 1 pounds

Data downloaded from tipping bucket

0.8

1.1

1.3

0.9

1.2

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1 2345

Bucket

used #

Tare +

sediment

Wet

Subsample

taken?

Need to bring more antifreeze and new dessicant. Shovel handle broke, need new shovel.

Still have small amount of snow in upper watershed. Rain guage had needles and dust accumulation.

16.2

23.6

17.8

35.6

12.4

19.0

26.8

32.6

41.0

18.9

15.4

45.2

29.7

29.6

34.0

16.2

19.4

22.0

26.8

33.6

0.8

1.1

1.3

0.9

1.2

0.8

1.1

1.3

0.9

1.2

0.8

1.1

1.3

0.9

1.2

0.8

1.1

1.3

0.9

1.2

15.4

22.5

16.5

34.7

11.2

18.2

25.7

31.3

40.1

17.7

14.6

44.1

28.4

28.7

32.8

15.4

18.3

20.7

25.9

32.4
18 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Appendix F—Example of Field and Laboratory Spreadsheet

Silt Fence Cleanout Spreadsheet Page 1 of 1

Date Location Whitehorse #2, seeded Recorder John, Paul, Ringo

Contributing area 1/10 acre

Raingauge depth and tipping bucket data

field scale lab/office scale

Scale used Field 1 Scale units pounds Scale used postal Scale units grams

Bucket # Tare weight Useful Conversions

1 0.8 1 lb = 454 grams 1 meter = 3.28 feet 1 acre = 43,560 square feet

2 1.1 1 lb = 0.454 kilograms 1 meter = 39.36 inches 1 hectare = 10,000 square meters

3 1.3 1 lb = 16 oz 1 cubic meter = 35.3 cubic feet 1 kilogram per hectare = 1.12 lbs per acre

4 0.9 1 oz = 28.4 grams 1cubic meter = 1.3 cubic yards

5 1.2 1 kilogram = 2.205 lb 1 hectare = 2.47 acres

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Bucket Bucket Tare + Tare wt Wet Subsample Subsample Subsample Water Water Dry sample

sample # used # sediment sediment wt # wet dry weight content weight

col3-col4 weight weight col7-col8 col9/col8 (1-col10)*col5

field scale units

1 1 16.2 0.8 15.4 1 69.0 50.4 18.6 0.37 9.7

2 2 23.6 1.1 22.5 2 126.0 89.5 36.5 0.41 13.3

3 3 17.8 1.3 16.5 3 142.0 113.6 28.4 0.25 12.4

4 4 35.6 0.9 34.7 4 106.0 88.0 18.0 0.20 27.6

5 5 12.4 1.2 11.2 5 61.0 54.3 6.7 0.12 9.8

6 1 19.0 0.8 18.2 6 123.0 108.2 14.8 0.14 15.7

7 2 26.8 1.1 25.7 7 137.0 111.0 26.0 0.23 19.7

8 3 32.6 1.3 31.3 8 80.0 62.4 17.6 0.28 22.5

9 4 41.0 0.9 40.1 9 96.0 82.6 13.4 0.16 33.6

10 5 18.9 1.2 17.7 10 104.0 87.4 16.6 0.19 14.3

11 1 15.4 0.8 14.6 11 104.0 74.9 29.1 0.39 8.9

12 2 45.2 1.1 44.1 12 76.0 54.7 21.3 0.39 27.0

13 3 29.7 1.3 28.4 13 134.0 109.9 24.1 0.22 22.2

14 4 29.6 0.9 28.7 14 114.0 99.2 14.8 0.15 24.4

15 5 34.0 1.2 32.8 15 86.0 63.6 22.4 0.35 21.3

16 1 16.2 0.8 15.4 16 100.0 74.0 26.0 0.35 10.0

17 2 19.4 1.1 18.3 17 62.0 45.3 16.7 0.37 11.5

18 3 22.0 1.3 20.7 18 75.0 54.8 20.3 0.37 13.0

19 4 26.8 0.9 25.9 19 66.0 53.5 12.5 0.23 19.8

20 5 33.6 1.2 32.4 20 115.0 82.8 32.2 0.39 19.8

page 1 subtotal 356.5

page 2 subtotal

page 3 subtotal

total 356.5

35.65 pounds/acre

Multiply unit area (above) by total cumulative weight (field scale units) per unit 

area of plot. Use conversions above to give units of choice.

12-Jul-01

Field Data Work Sheet Office Data Work Sheet

field scale units Office scale units

2 ft 3 1/16 inches from top Data downloaded from tipping bucket
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 19

Appendix G—Example Data Taken From Onset Rain Gauge

Datalogger

Rainfall data summaries by given time interval. How many tips

of the raingauge occurred by time interval? These are used to

 calculate maximum rainfall intensities by time interval.

Original data Parsed data by space and comma 10 minute 30 minute 60 minute

Date Time,1/100 INCHES OF RAIN summaries summaries summaries

06/23/99 09:00:00.0,0,Start date time tips

06/23/99 14:44:42.5,1 6/23/99 14:44:42 1 1 1 1

06/23/99 14:47:01.0,2 6/23/99 14:47:01 2 2 2 2

06/23/99 14:47:02.0,3 6/23/99 14:47:02 3 3 3 3

06/24/99 04:15:32.0,4 6/24/99 4:15:32 4 1 1 1

06/24/99 04:48:11.5,5 6/24/99 4:48:12 5 1 1 2

06/24/99 04:53:36.5,6 6/24/99 4:53:37 6 2 2 3

06/24/99 04:56:09.5,7 6/24/99 4:56:10 7 3 3 4

06/24/99 05:04:53.5,8 6/24/99 5:04:54 8 2 4 5

06/24/99 05:05:54.0,9 6/24/99 5:05:54 9 3 5 6

06/24/99 06:09:10.5,10 6/24/99 6:09:10 10 1 1 3

06/24/99 06:09:11.0,11 6/24/99 6:09:11 11 2 2 4

06/24/99 06:19:26.0,12 6/24/99 6:19:26 12 1 3 3

06/24/99 06:21:56.0,13 6/24/99 6:21:56 13 2 4 4

06/24/99 06:22:56.5,14 6/24/99 6:22:56 14 3 5 5

06/24/99 06:25:14.0,15 6/24/99 6:25:14 15 4 6 6

06/24/99 06:27:21.0,16 6/24/99 6:27:21 16 4 7 7

06/24/99 06:28:35.5,17 6/24/99 6:28:35 17 5 8 8

06/24/99 06:29:32.5,18 6/24/99 6:29:32 18 5 9 9

06/24/99 06:31:43.0,19 6/24/99 6:31:43 19 6 10 10

06/24/99 06:33:40.0,20 6/24/99 6:33:40 20 6 11 11

06/24/99 06:37:12.5,21 6/24/99 6:37:12 21 5 12 12

06/24/99 06:39:24.5,22 6/24/99 6:39:24 22 5 11 13

06/24/99 06:41:50.5,23 6/24/99 6:41:50 23 4 12 14

06/24/99 06:45:41.5,24 6/24/99 6:45:41 24 4 13 15

06/24/99 06:50:39.5,25 6/24/99 6:50:39 25 3 13 16

06/24/99 06:53:30.0,26 6/24/99 6:53:30 26 3 12 17

06/24/99 06:58:12.0,27 6/24/99 6:58:12 27 3 11 18

06/26/99 16:49:33.0,28 6/26/99 16:49:33 28 1 1 1

06/26/99 16:57:51.0,29 6/26/99 16:57:51 29 2 2 2

06/26/99 20:00:30.5,30 6/26/99 20:00:31 30 1 1 1

07/03/99 10:21:11.5,31 7/3/99 10:21:12 31 1 1 1

07/03/99 10:22:12.0,32 7/3/99 10:22:12 32 2 2 2

07/03/99 11:36:24.0,33 7/3/99 11:36:24 33 1 1 1

07/03/99 11:37:15.5,34 7/3/99 11:37:15 34 2 2 2

07/03/99 11:39:32.0,35 7/3/99 11:39:32 35 3 3 3

07/03/99 11:42:16.0,36 7/3/99 11:42:16 36 4 4 4

07/03/99 11:44:48.5,37 7/3/99 11:44:49 37 5 5 5

07/03/99 11:48:07.0,38 7/3/99 11:48:07 38 4 6 6

07/03/99 11:53:28.5,39 7/3/99 11:53:28 39 3 7 7

07/03/99 11:58:19.0,40 7/3/99 11:58:19 40 2 8 8

07/03/99 12:00:21.5,41 7/3/99 12:00:21 41 3 9 9

07/03/99 12:07:29.0,42 7/3/99 12:07:29 42 3 8 10

07/03/99 13:12:34.0,43 7/3/99 13:12:34 43 1 1 1

07/03/99 13:24:45.5,44 7/3/99 13:24:45 44 1 2 2

07/03/99 13:25:46.0,45 7/3/99 13:25:46 45 2 3 3

maximum of column 6 13 18

Maximum intensites by duration can be calculated using each of these compiled maximum tips by interval.

10 minute maximum intensity 6 tips in 10 minutes 30 minute maximum intensity 13 tips in 30 minutes

60 minutes/hour * 6 tips / 10 minutes * 0.01 inches/tip=0.36 inches/hour 60 minutes/hour * 13 tips / 30 minutes * 0.01 inches/tip=0.26 inches/hour

60 minute maximum intensity 18 tips in 60 minutes

60 minutes/hour * 18 tips / 60minutes * 0.01 inches/tip=0.18 inches/hour
20 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Appendix H—Statistical Analysis Procedure

This section describes a simple approach to analyze

silt fence erosion data. Additional statistical analysis

can be performed on the data, but it may be necessary

to consult statistical textbooks or get statistical assistance. This example should be viewed as a first approach for data analysis. The data represent five silt

fences for a Burn Only treatment, four silt fences for

Burn and Seed treatment, and three silt fences for the

Control (no burn) treatment. Fifteen storm events were

observed with some events producing no sediment.

Generally it is best to analyze data after 15 to 20 storm

events or a season.

A common occurrence with erosion or sediment

yield data is that the underlying distribution is not normal or gaussian. This is due to a large number of zeroes (when there was no runoff) together with a few

large values, indicating the underlying distribution is

skewed to the right. For highly skewed data, the usual

normality assumption is violated, and, consequently,

the “usual” confidence intervals, t-tests, and analysis

of variance procedures may not be appropriate. Instead,

less restrictive nonparametric procedures should be

used.

As with any data set, one should first explore the

data to determine whether there are problems that could

cause difficulties in statistical analysis. This can be

accomplished by looking at the data graphically to determine whether there are unreasonable values, trends

in the results, or outliers that do not fit the rest of the

data. The outliers may to due to failure of the silt fences

or contributing areas greater than expected. Graphs can

include sediment yield between treatments (line or bar

graphs), sediment yields versus rainfall intensity/

amounts, and sediment yields versus ground cover

amounts (X-Y graphs).

The data are entered into a spreadsheet program,

such as Microsoft Excel, as follows in sheet 1, Original Sediment Yield Data (fig. H1).

Column A contains the sampling date (preferably

the storm date) and is labeled “Date.”

Column B contains the 10-minute maximum

precipitation.

Column C identifies the group or treatment a particular observation comes from.

Columns D through H contain sediment values

from fences 1 through 5 for the Burn Only treatment, 1 through 4 for the Burn and Seed treatment,

and 1 through 3 for the Control or untreated group.

This is an unequal design.

Column I contains the average sediment collected

across all fences for each storm within each

treatment. These values are computed by entering

the formula “=AVERAGE(D4:H4)” into cell I4. This

cell is then copied (move the cursor to cell I4, then

EDIT/COPY) to cells I5 through I60. Note that each

silt fence is observed after each storm. This analysis will focus on these averages rather than the individual storm/fence observations.

A first step in the analysis is to provide descriptive

measures for each group. When data are highly skewed,

the median rather than the arithmetic average is usually a better representation of a typical value. Although

the median (the 50th percentile) is often of interest,

occasionally other percentiles such as the 75th or 67th

may be useful. If p is the proportion of interest (p =

0.50 for the 50th percentile, p = 0.75 for the 75th , and

so forth), a confidence interval for p may be constructed

as follows (see Hahn and Meeker 1991: 82):

1. Highlight the averages for data from one of the

groups (for the Burn Only group this would be the averages in cells I4:I22) and press EDIT/COPY. Move to

cell J4 and press EDIT/PASTE SPECIAL, select the

“Values” button and then “ENTER.” This copies the

values, instead of the formulas, into cells J4:J22.

2. In cell K4 add the label “Median.” In cell L4 entering the formula “=MEDIAN(I4:I22)” indicates the

Burn Only group median is 0.1 t ha-1. To find an upper

confidence limit for the median perform the next two steps.

3. If cells J4:J22 are not highlighted, do so and press

DATA/SORT, select “Continue with the current selection” option and then press Sort and then press the

“OK” button on the Sort menu window. This sorts the

average values from smallest to largest. Add the label

“Sorted Average” to cell J3.

4. Place the labels “Confidence [Interval],” “n,” “Percentile,” “Order Statistic,” “Upper Confidence Limit”

in cell K5 through K9. In cell L5 enter the desired confidence level; for this example we used 0.95. In cell

L6 enter the number of storm dates (or silt fence

cleanout dates); for this example we had 19 storm dates.

In cell L7 enter the proportion for the desired percentile; for this example we used 0.50. This value may be

changed as one compares various percentiles (such as,

“there is a 50 percent chance that we will . . .”). In cell

L8 use the formula “=CRITBINOM(L6,L7,L5),”

which returns the smallest value for which the

cumulative ranked averages is greater than or equal to a

criterion value or rank of sediment yield. This integer
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 21

(13 for the current example) is the index of the order

statistic that will provide a 95 percent upper confidence

interval for the 50th percentile. Finally, in cell L9 enter the formula “=INDEX(J4:J22,L8,1),” which returns

a reference to a value from within the ordered sediment averages (J4 thru J22). For this example, an upper 95 percent confidence limit for the 50th percentile

or median is the 13th smallest observation or the 13th order statistic. With this data set, there are two zeros in the

ordered list; therefore, it will be the 12th smallest observation or the 12th order statistic, which is 0.128 t ha-1.

Following similar steps for the other two groups

indicates that we are 95 percent certain that the 50th

percentile (the median) is less than 0.133 t ha-1 for the

Burn and Seed group and 0.093 t ha-1 for the Control

group. To find upper confidence limits for other percentiles we need only change the 0.5 in cells L7, L26,

and L45 to the desired proportion. For example, entering the formula “=2/3” in cell L7 indicates that we are

95 percent certain that at least 67 percent of the observations lie below 0.164 t ha-1, the 15th order statistic.

Figure H1 shows the Excel spreadsheet containing the

raw data, the averages, and the confidence limits discussed above. This spreadsheet may be downloaded

from http://forest.moscowfsl.wsu.edu/engr/siltfence.

Many investigators want to test for a significant difference between groups. Again, the usual testing procedures may not be appropriate because silt fence sediment yield data are often highly skewed. A simple nonparametric alternative, the Friedman test (Conover

1971: 299), is equivalent to performing a randomized

complete block analysis of variance on the ranks of

the averages of silt fences (Conover and Iman 1981).

This analysis is accomplished by the following steps:

1. Using data from Original Sediment Yield Data sheet,

copy columns containing dates, groups and averages

(columns A, C, and I) to another page (sheet 2, Rank

Analysis of Sediment Yield) of the spreadsheet

(fig. H2-columns A, B, and C).

2. Highlight cells A1:C58 and press DATA SORT, sort

by “Average” and then press “OK” button on the SORT

menu window. This sorts the average values from

smallest to largest.

3. Ranks of averages are computed by entering the formula “=RANK(C2,$C$2:$C:58)” into cell D2. This

formula is then copied into cells D2:D58.

4. Unfortunately Excel does not handle tied observations correctly. There are 12 zeroes that are the 12 smallest observations in the data set. Excel gives each a rank

of 1 that need to be replaced with the average of ranks

1 through 12 which is 6.5. There are four 0.1 averages

that are replaced with the average of their ranks,

(30+31+32+33)/4 = 31.5. The two ranks of 40 are

replaced with 40.5, likewise the two 46s are replaced

with 46.5. Replacing the two ranks of 52 with 52.5

completes the correct ranking of the data.

5. Copy the columns “Date,” “Group,” “Averages,” and

“Ranks” (A1:D58) to cell F1 by pasting the values using EDIT/PASTE SPECIAL checking “Values.”

6. Now the corrected ranks have to be sorted into the

original order. Highlight cells F1:I58, press DATA

SORT, sort by “Group” then “Date” then press the

“OK” button on the SORT menu window. This sorts

by date for each group.

7. Now build a table for analysis. Label cells K1 “Date,”

L1 “Burn,” M1 “Burn and Seed,” and N1 “Control.”

Copy cells I2:I20 then paste to cell L2, copy cells

I21:I39 then paste to cell M2, copy cells I40:I58 then

paste to cell N2 to complete the table for analysis.

8. Now the built-in function “Anova: Two-Factor Without Replication” is applied to the ranks by clicking

TOOLS/DATA ANALYSIS and selecting the “Anova:

Two-Factor Without Replication” from the menu. The

block K1:N20 is selected for the “Input Range” and

cell K22 is selected as the beginning of the output range,

the “Labels” box is checked and “Alpha” is set to 0.05,

press “OK” (fig. H3). Then block K22:P56 will contain the output.

Figure H2 displays the output. The p-value for testing the equality of columns (groups Burn, Burn and

Seed, Control) is 4.25E-05 (cell P53), which is highly

significant. This indicates there is a difference by group.

A p-value smaller than 0.05, generally, is considered

significant. By inspection, the average rank of the control group is 20.1 (cell N47), while the average ranks

of the two burned groups are 32.6 (cell N45) and 34.3

(cell N46) respectively.

To determine which groups are different, label cell

J58 “LSD” and perform a Least Significant Difference (LSD) test of the ranks. This is computed in

cell K58 by entering the formula “=TINV(0.05,M54)

*SQRT(N54/L47)” giving 4.27, where cell M54 contains the degrees of freedom for the error mean square,

cell N54 contains the error mean square, and cell L47

contains the number of observations in each of the

group means. This implies that the average of the

ranks for any two groups must differ by at least 4.27

to be significantly different. Hence, the control group

is significantly less than Burn, and Burn and Seed

groups. However, there is no significant difference

between the Burn, and Burn and Seed groups because the difference between their mean ranks is less

than the LSD value. The analysis also implies that

there is a significant difference by rows (date). The

p-value was 8.50E-07 (cell P52) showing storm

(date) differences.
22 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Figure H1—Example spreadsheet for three groups (Burn, Burn and Seed, and

Control) showing calculations of median and upper confidence limits for the

median.
USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94 23

Figure H2—Example spreadsheet of ranked analysis of sediment yield data.
24 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-94

Figure H3—Example window from the

Anova analysis.
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