Hybrid Soil Biotechnical Fill Slope
Hybrid Soil Biotechnical Fill Slope: Riverbank Erosion Control & Stabilization
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White River Campground in Strawtown, IN is a top revenue generator for Hamilton County Parks Department. The park’s east border is the White River. By 2005 erosion threatened the safety and integrity of campsites and utilities located on top of the river bank. A hybrid biotechnical fill slope was proposed. The solution utilized a mix of hard and soft armor. The fill slope components included a geotextile-aggregate raft, geogrid reinforced earth fill, surface applied turf reinforcement mats, and native vegetation introduced by seed and vegetated coir logs. A budget analysis indicated that the green solution was more economical than a traditional rip rap revetment.
After being engineered the project was funded and publically bid. A contract was awarded and construction began November 1, 2007. The winter 2007 – 2008 produced significant rainfall, flooding the campground for 67 days between December 1st and March 15th. Although challenging to construct due to the wet conditions the project has developed nicely as the native vegetation was successfully introduced despite the harsh conditions.