Reducing sediments from skid roads in West Virginia using fiber mats.

A research study was established to test the effectiveness of fiber mats and native seed mixtures in reducing soil erosion from newly constructed skid roads in the Elk River watershed in central West Virginia. Six road sections received fiber mat and native grass seed and were paired with randomly selected sections of equal grade receiving no treatments. Silt fences with sediment traps were constructed at the downslope terminus of each road section. Sediments were collected from silt traps three times during summer 2005 and 2006. Over the 2-year study period, sediments were reduced by 88% on skid trails treated with fiber mats and seeding. Our findings suggest that the use of fiber mats has the potential to significantly reduce sedimentation from skid roads in West Virginia.