Best Management Practices for Indian River Citrus Groves
With citrus groves populating a large portion of Indian River County, Florida, the need for best management practices in Indian River County Citrus Groves has been a top priority. While several efforts have been implemented by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to help lemon, oranges and grapefruit groves stay in compliance with storm water regulations, the effects of rains, wind, and other factors have continued the problem of soil erosion in groves.
As a long term supplier of best management practices (BMP) and other pollution and erosion control devices, Granite Environment Inc. offers a natural product line aimed at stabilizing soils and minimizing soil erosion. These products include all-natural designs that implement the use of straw, coir, and coconut fibers for a biodegradable erosion control method.
Coir is often used for areas seeking long-term stabilization and control, such as in citrus groves. The coir material is a natural product that has been created from the husks of coconuts during coconut harvesting. These by products are taken and soaked in water for extended periods of time, allowing them to increase in strength. From this process, various types of coir materials including mattress coir fibers and coir twine are created. These materials are then weaved and packed together to form logs, rolls, wattles and blankets.
For areas dealing with soil erosion, one of the most frequently implemented products is the coir or coconut fiber mats. This erosion control matting weaves durable coir twine fibers to form a geotextile material capable of stabilizing areas and allowing vegetation to establish. These mats are woven with different opening sizes to allow for vegetation to grow through, if desired. Stronger mats will be more tightly woven, offering a higher level of strength.
Most coir erosion control mats are designed to last over a period of four to six years. This allows enough time for vegetation to grow and take root, helping to further stabilize areas. Mats are equipped to stabilize areas with erosion, water flows, or steep slopes. Some of the strongest mats can handle flows up to sixteen feet per second (16 fps) and slopes up to 1:1. Over time, mats will slowly biodegrade to enrich the surrounding areas.
In addition to providing natural stabilization products, Granite Environmental Inc. offers a huge variety of BMPs that have been implemented on construction sites, industrial, and agricultural areas to help filter stormwater and keep areas in compliance with storm water pollution control requirements.
