March 2015

Environment & Natural Resources Insights

Turf Establishment - Greener on MY side of the fence

"How difficult can it be?" That's often the question posed by your constituents when it comes to assessing the conditions of your parks and public spaces. Because the Chicago area's fertile soils and longer fall and spring seasons are considered ideal growing conditions for turf, these conditions are sometimes taken for granted What's lost on the public is the fact that establishing a high-quality, low-maintenance turf environment requires skill and planning.

Following some basic guidelines regarding timing, soil fertility testing, soil tillage, seed mix and quantity, and irrigation can increase your chances of success. It also is important to manage the expectations of your administrations and public officials and to follow a schedule that may take longer to deliver a sustainable stand of turf.

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Step 1: Know Your Dirt

Step 2: Get Your Timing Right

Step 3: Work the Dirt

Step 4: Make Contact

Step 5: Consider Erosion Control

Getting the Dirt Out

Illinois' Clean Construction or Demolition Debris (CCDD) rules can add time and costs to your construction project. Here are some tips to ease CCDD acceptance of your dirt and debris:

Start your CCDD certification process early and contact potential receiving facilities weeks before you need to move dirt.
There is no one size fits all when it comes to disposal options so know what potential accepting facilities typically want and prepare accordingly. Each operator responds to their potential risks differently by following different acceptance requirements.
Know how old your data is and how likely it will be accepted. The receiving facility may require additional sampling to update old data, adding time to the approval process.
Understand how to effectively segregate soils when part of your project is dirty. CCDD facilities will often allow you to delineate and segregate clean from dirty dirt.

Staying in front of the approval process and working with an experienced environmental engineer to formulate a cost-effective disposal plan can help you avoid delays and unnecessary costs.

Delineation Time is Approaching

With the 2015 growing season approaching, plan ahead for wetland delineations and on-site field work. For more information, contact Scott Brejcha, Wetland Consulting Group Leader at 630.729.6325 or sbrejcha@v3co.com.

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