Michigan MDOT Erosion Control Products

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

Michigan MDOT - Erosion Control Methods

Michigan jobs span dense glacial tills, lakebed clays, dune sands, organic mucks, and urban fills, often with high groundwater. Add long freeze–thaw seasons, lake-effect snow, spring melt, intense summer cloudbursts, and fluctuating Great Lakes water levels, and freshly graded areas can ravel, gully, and deliver sediment to ditches, culverts, and waterways. MDOT’s strategy layers products that (1) protect bare soil, (2) slow and spread runoff, and (3) capture sediment until vegetation takes over.

Rolled erosion control products (RECPs). On embankments, slope repairs, and roadside swales, crews install straw, excelsior, coconut/coir, or blended blankets to shield soil and seed from raindrop impact, wind, and meltwater. Straw blankets fit short, gentle slopes and low-velocity swales; heavier coir or straw-coir mats handle longer grades and higher shear typical of snowmelt and summer storms. Blankets are trenched at the crest and toe, overlapped shingle-style, and pinned per manufacturer patterns—often with extra anchoring along open lakefronts where winds test fasteners. On shorelines and tidal-like seiche zones, coir logs are used to toe-in blankets and hold edges tight until vegetation roots.

Turf reinforcement mats (TRMs). Where velocities exceed temporary blanket limits—steeper swales, culvert outlets, channel bends, and drawdown areas—synthetic TRMs provide long-life reinforcement. Once vegetation grows through, the composite withstands repeated storm events, seiche-driven fluctuations, and rapid drawdown better than bare soil, reducing reliance on continuous riprap in constrained corridors.

Hydraulic mulches and soil binders. Irregular, rocky, or expansive areas are treated with hydroseed plus hydromulch, bonded fiber matrix (BFM), or flexible growth media (FGM). BFMs form a breathable crust that resists sheet flow yet allows germination, providing quick cover between storm windows. Where straw mulch is used, it’s crimped into the surface and locked with tackifier or polymer binder to prevent wind loss or flotation during spring melt.

Slope interrupters and perimeter controls. Fiber rolls (wattles) and compost filter socks placed on contour break long slope lengths, slow runoff, and trap sediment upslope before rills form. At the project boundary, silt fence excels in fine-grained tills when trenched and backfilled correctly; on sandy shoulders, dune areas, or high-traffic zones, heavier filter socks offer stability and easier maintenance. The emphasis is intercepting sheet flow high on the slope so water never builds erosive energy.

Check structures and channels. Temporary rock or wattle check dams in construction ditches reduce velocities and drop sediment. Spacing is set so each crest ponds water to the toe of the next, creating a stair-step energy dissipator. At culvert outlets and storm outfalls, crews pair RECPs or TRMs with riprap over an appropriate filter layer; coir logs at the toe keep edges tight until vegetation takes hold. In very high-shear zones or fluctuating lake levels, articulated concrete block (ACB) mats add durability while allowing vegetation in the cells.

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—especially important in urban corridors. Stabilized construction exits—coarse stone over geotextile—limit mud tracked onto public roads; sweeping backs them up where sticky clays cling to tires.

Basins, traps, and stockpiles. Sediment basins or traps intercept runoff from disturbed areas and provide settling volume before discharge. Topsoil stockpiles are promptly seeded and mulched or covered; perimeter wattles or fence contain fines during storms and snowmelt.

Seasonal strategy and maintenance. With long winters, crews rely on dormant seeding, higher mulch rates, blanket anchoring, and rapid temporary stabilization before shutdowns. After major rain, lake-effect melt, or seiche events, teams repair tears, reset stakes, clean inlet devices, remove accumulated sediment (often at half height), and reseed bare spots. Temporary controls are removed once vegetation is established and slopes and channels prove stable.

Bottom line: on MDOT projects, erosion control isn’t one product—it’s a coordinated system that tames snowmelt and storms, protects waterways and shorelines, and gives vegetation the foothold it needs to lock Michigan’s soils in place.

Michigan MDOT