Method for reducing erosion on hillsides

Abstract

In a method for reducing erosion on land where moving water has formed at least one rill or gully a plurality of rock-filled mesh bags are placed at selected spaced apart locations in a rill or gulley. The mesh bags have side walls in which there are openings, each opening having a major diameter of between inches and inches and a minor diameter which is less than or equal to the major diameter. For most uses, the mesh bags contain rocks having a size in which a largest diameter of the rock is between inch and 1 inch, and the mesh bags weigh between 3 pounds and 4 pounds. Water flowing in the gulley will pass through each mesh bag. The mesh bag reduces the flow rate of the moving water. Larger sizes of stones and bags are used for areas of greater flow.

Claims

1. A method for reducing erosion on land where moving water has formed at least one rill, the rill being a channel having a depth of less than 8 inches and a width of less than 2 feet, through which rain water flows comprising: providing a plurality of mesh bags, the bags having side walls in which there are openings, each opening having a major diameter of between inches and inches and a minor diameter which is less than or equal to the major diameter, the mesh bags containing rocks all having a size in which a largest diameter of the rock is not less than inch, and the mesh bags weighing not more than 6 pounds; and placing the mesh bags at selected spaced-apart locations in one rill such that at least one of the mesh bags is spaced apart from all other mesh bags and water flowing in the rill will pass through each mesh bag and continue to flow in the rill, the flowing water having a first flow rate before passing through any selected mesh bag and water that has passed through that mesh bag will flow in the rill at a second flow rate which is less than the first flow rate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the mesh bags have a handle attached to at least one sidewall.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the handle is a drawstring attached to the side walls.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one mesh bag is placed on a slope at the end of a downspout.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one mesh bag is expandable.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one mesh bag is pleated.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one mesh bag is partially full.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the rocks in the mesh bags have a size in which a largest diameter of the rock is between inch and 1.5 inches.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mesh bags are made from hemp, cotton, metal, plastic or reinforced plastic.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plastic is selected from the group consisting of nylon, polypropylene and polyethylene.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the mesh bags have sufficient strength that the bags will not break when run over by a wheel of a tractor.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the mesh bags weigh between 3 pounds and 4 pounds.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one rill has a depth of not greater than 2 inches.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one rill has a width of not greater than 3 inches.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one mesh bag is pillow-shaped, 2 inches wide and 4 inches tall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a hillside on which rills and gullies have been formed by water which has flowed down the hill.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a present preferred mesh bag which can be used in my method for reducing erosion on land where moving water has formed at least one rill or gully.

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another present preferred mesh bag which can be used in my method for reducing erosion on land where moving water has formed at least one rill or gully.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a gully in which mesh bags have been placed in accordance with my method.

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the gully shown in FIG. 4 after the mesh bags have been in place for several weeks or months.

(6) FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5.

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of my mesh bags placed in a rill that had formed below the end of a downspout on a slope.

DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 I provide a mesh bag 1, 10 having side walls 2, 11 in which there are openings 3, 13. Each opening has a major diameter of between inches and 1 inches and a minor diameter which is less than or equal to the major diameter. The openings in the mesh bag shown in FIG. 2 are square so the major diameter which can be the height is the same as the minor diameter which is the width. Preferably, the sides of the square openings are inches. The openings 13 in the mesh bag 10 are generally diamond shaped and the width is the smaller than the height. So, in this embodiment the height is the major diameter the width is the minor diameter. The openings could be round, oval, square or other polygon shape.

(9) In the mesh bag 1 shown in FIG. 2 the ends 4, 5 of the bag are sewn shut by stitching 6, 7. The mesh bag shown in FIG. 3 is made from a tubular mesh. A closed end is located proximate the bottom portion 18 of the mesh bag 10. The open end is located proximate the top portion 12 of mesh bag 10. The closed end 18 may be formed by gluing, crimping, or knotting the material forming the mesh bag 10. A knot 16 can be seen hanging from the bottom portion 18 of mesh bag 10. In place of knot 16, a crimp bead (not shown) may be used. A drawstring 15 in conjunction with a cinching mechanism 17 interacts with the top portion 18 of the mesh bag 10 for opening and closing the open end 12 of mesh bag 10. Means for securing the ends of the drawstring 15 include a knot or a ring 19 loosely clamped around drawstring. The ring may be made of metal or plastic.

(10) Although my method could be used to control erosion in gullies, the primary goal of the method is to prevent the formation of gullies by placing the rock-filled mesh bags in rills when they are first discovered. These rills may be as small as 2 inches deep and 3 inches wide. For that reason, as well as to permit the bags to be easily carried, I prefer to provide small mesh bags that are 2 inches wide, 4 inches tall and about 1 inch thick and pillow-shaped when laid on a flat surface. One such small mesh bag may be sufficient where the rill is 2 inches deep and 3 inches wide. I also provide larger bags that may be up to 8 inches wide, 12 inches tall and 4 inches thick when laid on a flat surface. The mesh bags can be made of any suitable material including natural materials like hemp or cotton rope or a plastic, such as nylon, polypropylene or polyethylene or reinforced plastic or metal. If the bags will be used in an area where a tractor or other equipment could run over them then a stronger material like nylon or chain metal mesh should be used.

(11) The mesh bags for ordinary use are filled with rocks 8 of different size, all having a size in which a largest diameter of the rock is between inch and 1.5 inches for most uses. In areas of heavy flow, proportionately larger bags, and stones, may be better utilized. The mesh bags preferably weigh between 3 pounds and 6 pounds. Smaller and larger sizes may be provided for special uses, as at the base of downspouts or larger rills. Sometimes, the ideal flow-slower is flat, only an inch or two thick. As shown in FIG. 7, my mesh bags 1 may be put into the ground below a downspout 30. Larger sizes of stones and bags can be used for areas with greater flow.

(12) In the mesh bag shown in FIG. 3 the draw string can be used as a handle. A strip of fabric 9, shown in broken line, can be sewn between the ends of the mesh bag 1 to act as a handle as shown in FIG. 2 or a handle could be attached to one or both ends of the bag.

(13) Preferably when a rill is found the user of my method places one or more mesh bags 1, 10 near the head of the rill 20 as shown in FIG. 4. Then the user places additional bags 1, 10 at spaced apart downstream locations. Some or all of the bags may have a pleat 11 at one or both ends or in the sidewalls (not shown). Some bags may be larger than other bags. FIG. 4 shows smaller bags placed on larger bags at one location. The number of bags that must be placed at each location will depend upon the width, depth, and angle of the rill or gulley at each selected location as well as the size of the bags. The method can also be used for small gullies which have formed from a rill that was not treated using my method.

(14) Because my mesh bags are easy to lift and carry the user does not need any tools to place the mesh bags at desired locations. Mesh bags that are 6 inches tall and 4 inches wide and 1 inch or two inches thick will fit in some jacket pockets and several of them can be carried in a shopping bag or basket. The average farmer or average landowner should be able to carry four or more bags several hundred yards. Consequently, a user is more likely to place my rocked filled mesh bags in a rill or gully when he or she first discovers it and the rill or gully is small. Of course the user could load multiple bags into a wheel barrow or onto a cart attached to a small tractor or riding lawnmower for transport.

(15) The key to effective and lower cost erosion control of hillsides is to place the mesh bags in rills while they are small, before they become gullies. If my mesh bags had been placed in the rills at the top of FIG. 1 when they were first formed then the wide gullies at the bottom of FIG. 1 would not have formed. Even though soil erosion is a significant environmental problem, the art has failed to recognize that slowing water flow in rills is an effective way to prevent or reduce soil erosion. Prior to the present invention farmers and landowners have ignored the rills and waited until gullies have formed before taking action to stop further erosion.

(16) Once in place the mesh bags will allow water to pass through the bag while slowing the flow of the moving water. Consequently, the mesh bags will not act as a dam and cause the moving water to be diverted away from the mesh bags and form a new rill or gully. The mesh material, small size and pillow shape of the mesh bags enables the rock-filled bags to generally conform to the shape of the gully, making it less likely that the bags will roll away from their original location.

(17) I prefer to use smaller rocks and larger rocks in each bag. The smaller stones settle toward the bottom of the bag enabling the bag to conform more closely to the irregular surfaces of the bottom of the rill. That protects it from further erosion caused by water going underneath the bag. When the mesh bag is put into a tiny rill, one only a few inches wide, the mesh bag may have to be extended to lower the height and keep the top of the bag safe from mower blades. This can be done if the mesh bag is partially filled or if the bag is constructed to be expandable. A mesh bag that is full would allow the installer to manipulate the mesh bag so that it fit snugly in a wider variety of rills. One type of expandable bag may have one or more pleats in the sidewalls. Both the extendable pleated mesh bags and the mostly full mesh bags would allow the user to fit the bag better into the rill and better keep erosion from deepening or widening the rill.

(18) The amount of soil that can be carried by moving water is directly related to the flow rate of the water. When the mesh bags slow the water speed some suspended soil articles will drop to the bottom of the rill or gulley. Over time this deposited soil will build up behind the mesh bags filling in the rill or gully. Because the deposited soil is often rich in nutrients vegetation can easily sprout and grow in the deposit. This new vegetation discourages soil erosion. The stems and leaves help to slow down raindrops as they fall while the roots of the plants help to hold the soil together.

(19) FIGS. 5 and 6 show a small gully or rill 20 in which my mesh bags 1, 10 had been placed after several weeks or months. Soil deposits 22 have been created upstream of the bags and grass or other vegetation 24 has sprouted and is growing on the soil deposits.

(20) During the late spring I placed mesh bags in a rill that had formed on a slope in typical soil. This rill was less than a foot wide and 8-10 inches deep near its head. At this location I placed one rectangular bag about 12 inches wide, about 2 inches high and about 2 inches thick. Then I placed an additional, larger bag about 15 feet downstream of this location. There the rill was wider and deeper, having formed a small gulley. After a month, I checked the area and saw that soil had already begun to fill in the gulley upstream of each bag and plants had sprouted in the soil deposits. No new gullies or rills had formed.

(21) It became apparent that the smaller stones settling to the bottom of the bag helped stop future erosion. At the same time, the larger stones in the upper part of the bag were very effective in slowing the water. That protected the downstream portion of the rill from the great erosion that had previously made it much deeper after a few heavy rains.

(22) While my method could be used for large gullies that are several feet wide and over a foot deep, it is not likely that the average landowner or farmer would use the method for that purpose because of the number of bags that would be required for each location and the total number of bags required for the full length of the gully. On the other hand the average landowner or farmer is more likely to use my method than to choose another method to control erosion, or to do nothing, because my mesh bags are easy to carry and place in a rill or small gully.

(23) Although I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of my method for reducing erosion it should be distinctly understood that my invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.