The effectiveness of four road turnout ditch treatments (vegetation, riprap, sediment fences, and settling basins)in reducing sediment export to the forest floor was evaluated. These four runoff control methods are commonly prescribedto control forest road runoff and sediments. The study utilized runoff samplers, runoff diversion walls, sediment filter bags,and erosion stakes to evaluate runoff concentration reductions through the treatments and sediment export downslope of thetreatments. Settling basin, sediment fence, and vegetation treatments had no significant differences in runoff concentrationreductions, which averaged more than 40%. The riprap was significantly less effective at reducing runoff concentration thanwere either the vegetation or sediment fence. The sediment basins were very effective during smaller storm events, but notduring the largest storms, when they overflowed. The sediment basin exported the least amount of smallersized sedimentthat is likely to be delivered to stream systems.
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Johnny M. Grace (2002) studied this question.