Colorado CDOT Erosion Control Products

Solmax DOT Standard Specification Product Chart (click image to expand)

Colorado CDOT - Erosion Control Methods

Colorado jobs face steep mountain cuts, wind-scoured plains, decomposed granite in the high country, expansive Front Range clays, and burn scars that shed debris after wildfire. Layer on freeze–thaw cycles, snowmelt surges, intense summer cloudbursts, and high-altitude UV, and freshly disturbed soils can ravel, gully, or load nearby streams with sediment. CDOT’s approach blends rapid surface protection, flow attenuation, and sediment interception so vegetation can establish and take over.

Rolled erosion control products (RECPs). On new embankments, slope repairs, and roadside ditches, crews install straw, excelsior, coconut/coir, or blended blankets to shield soil and seed from rain splash, meltwater, and wind. Straw blankets handle short, gentle slopes and low-velocity swales; heavier coir or straw-coir mats are used on longer grades and ditch reaches with higher shear. Blankets are trenched at the crest and toe, lapped shingle-style, and stapled to manufacturer patterns—with extra anchoring on windy corridors like I-70 and the Eastern Plains.

Turf reinforcement mats (TRMs). Where velocities or shear exceed temporary blanket limits—steep channels, outlet transitions, and curve bends—synthetic TRMs provide long-life reinforcement. Once roots knit through the mat, the vegetated system withstands repeated runoff and snowmelt better than bare soil and can replace rock in select locations for a greener, cooler corridor.

Hydraulic mulches and soil binders. Complex, rocky slopes and irregular cuts are treated with hydraulic applications: hydroseed with hydromulch, bonded fiber matrix (BFM), or flexible growth media (FGM). BFMs form a breathable crust that resists sheet flow yet lets seedlings emerge. On windy or south-facing slopes, straw mulch is crimped into the soil and locked with tackifier or polymer binder to prevent blow-off until vegetation is established.

Slope interrupters and perimeter controls. Fiber rolls (wattles) and compost filter socks placed on contour break long slopes into shorter segments, slow runoff, and trap sediment upslope. At the disturbance boundary, silt fence is used where posts can set firmly and soils are fine-grained; on stony ground or near traffic, compost socks provide stability and easier maintenance.

Check structures and channels. Temporary rock or wattle check dams installed in construction ditches reduce velocities and drop sediment. Spacing is set so each dam’s crest backs water to the toe of the next, creating a stair-step energy dissipator. At culvert outlets and storm outfalls, crews armor with riprap over an appropriate filter layer; in very high shear zones, articulated concrete block mats or TRM-reinforced linings add durability while allowing vegetation where feasible.

Inlet protection and track-out control. Curb socks, drop-inlet inserts, and gravel rings around grates keep sediment out of storm systems during grading and paving. Stabilized construction exits—coarse rock over geotextile—limit mud tracked to public roads; street sweeping backs them up, especially during wet spring periods.

Wildfire response. Along corridors affected by burns, CDOT often layers controls: BFM or FGM for immediate cover, wattles on contour to arrest rilling, and robust outlet armoring to handle ash- and sediment-laden peaks during the first monsoons.

Seeding strategy. Short growing windows drive timing—dormant seeding in late fall at elevation and spring seeding lower down. Native mixes are matched to elevation, aspect, and precipitation zone; higher mulch rates and coir-rich blankets help retain scarce moisture on sunny slopes.

Inspection and maintenance. After major storms, melt events, or high winds, crews repair tears, reset stakes, remove sediment from devices (commonly at half height), and reseed bare spots. Temporary controls are removed once vegetation is dense and slopes and channels are stable.

Bottom line: on CDOT projects, erosion control isn’t a single product—it’s a layered system. Blankets, TRMs, hydraulic mulches, wattles, silt fence, check dams, inlet protection, and stabilized exits work together to tame snowmelt and cloudbursts, protect streams, and give native vegetation the start it needs to lock Colorado’s soils in place.

Colorado CDOT