IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN…

Yep, it definitely is that time of the year again. What the heck am I talking about? Well, it’s fall and winter is on its way. We’ve even had several rain events already, which is good except for construction projects that are under way and can be hampered by the rain. A couple of weeks ago, October 15th to be exact, was the deadline for construction and development projects to have implemented permanent erosion control measures on the property where the projects had denuded the vegetation and/or grading had occurred. Any soil areas that have been disturbed by these projects must have been properly retained, reseeded or hydro mulched by that October 15th date. The law further requires that these erosion control measures (areas requiring this treatment) must be maintained, repaired and kept in working order throughout the period of October 15th to May 15th.

This Grading Ordinance and regulations were enacted by the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors some years ago and there is over sight by the California State Water Resources Control Board, an ‘arm’ of the California Environmental Protection Agency. This ordinance has ‘teeth’ in it if erosion control/mitigation is not adequate or is not performed at all. The Tuolumne County Department of Public Works is tasked with over seeing the ordinance and that the erosion control methods are adequate. But there are other entities also keeping an eye on these areas such as personnel from the Department of Fish and Game and the State Water Resources Control Board. If a landowner or developer does not comply with the ordinance, the County can arrange to have the erosion control work done and then assess the cost to the owner of the property. If the State Water Board or Fish and Game get involved, there is a possibility of huge fines/penalties. Yep, they are serious about the erosion issue!

Even though the above might seem draconian and just one more ‘big brother’ government intrusion, the erosion control practices are just plain common sense and would be practices any rational, caring property owner or developer should be performing as a matter of standard practice anyways. The reason is that the silt from the erosion that is allowed to occur fouls our streams and rivers, which adversely affects fish/aquatic life, wildlife and contaminates our drinking water sources. You can see the consequences are very negative if erosion and water drainage is not properly controlled, which means we all should probably evaluate our own properties to see how water flows onto and off of the yard/property, as we may be part of the problem and not even be aware of it. Water can be very damaging to your home also if it is not properly directed and shed by the exterior building covering systems. So, let’s ‘dive in’ and really give our home and property a good close look and possibly give some serious consideration to making changes and/or repairs that may come to light from our examination.

Let’s start with our homes roof and rain gutter system. Does the roof covering material appear to be in good shape with no debris (tree leaves, etc.) accumulated on its surface? Are the roof rain gutters and downspouts clear of debris and free flowing? Is the water that flows out of the rain gutter downspouts properly directed away from the home? Look at your driveway and the upper portions of your property and see if you can determine if water is flowing onto your property and driveway, and then where does that water flow to from there? You may have to do this portion of your examination during a heavy, prolonged rain event to actually see the water flow in action. Are there rivulets and/or obvious drainage ditches being cut into the soil areas of your property from water run-off from downspouts or hardscapes like patios, walkways and driveways? If so, that is a sure sign of erosion and an area that is in need of slowing down and dispersing the direct water flow, which can be done by installing rocks and proper plants or trees. This is a serious consideration as there is case law that makes you responsible for water that improperly drains off your property and onto your neighbors’ property. Don’t forget to check under your home also for any kind of water collection, as water under a home can sometimes create major adverse issues. There are many other areas that you should probably take a look at, but I can’t line them all out here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call and I’ll do my best to help you get through your property water evaluation.