State Department of Transportation Maintenance workers in Goldendale, Washington were faced with a common challenge when restoring vegetation at the interchange between highways 14 and 97: low organic content in the soil and a lack of precipitation. Located in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, the project area receives yearly average rainfall of only 8 to 12 inches. This produces a landscape of open bunch-grass
prairies dotted with sagebrush and rabbit brush containing the occasional juniper tree. During the summer months very little precipitation will ever reach the ground resulting in near desert like conditions. Even though the site was situated along the mighty Columbia River, water was in short supply. Any restoration efforts would be complicated by historic low levels of precipitation and compounded by the existing drought facing the region at the time of installation.

Previous attempts at erosion control and vegetation establishment had failed on tower footings at the Baffin Windfarm south of the city of Sarita in Kenedy County Texas. Hot, dry conditions, low soil fertility, and
additional issue of the wind farm being an active cattle ranch combined to make clear why previous attempts at revegetation had been unsuccessful. Due to entanglement risk, the property owner also dictated no erosion control blankets with netting could be used – all erosion control must be hydraulically applied. A special blend of of seed was required due to grazing activity.
 

Previous attempts to revegetate using a fully synthetic TRM (Turf Reinforcement Mat) on other areas of the Sunset Farms Landfill in Manor, TX (just outside of Austin) had not reached satisfactory density vegetation for Republic Services.

A side slope from a roadway ended at the fence line of a private property on this project; so long-term vegetation to prevent possible erosion was a necessity.

The Coal Basin project area is located in the White River National Forest, northwest of Redstone, Colorado. A combination of surface mined areas, haul roads, and refuse piles has augmented sedimentation into the Dutch Creek and receiving watercourses such as Coal Creek and Crystal Creek. The owner of this property had intentions to conduct Land Development activities and therefore needed to restore and vegetate the site.