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BMP C240: Sediment Trap • <br />Purpose A sediment trap is a small temporary ponding area with a gravel outlet <br />used to collect and store sediment from sites cleared and/or graded during <br />construction. Sediment traps, along with other perimeter controls, shall be <br />installed before any land disturbance takes place in the drainage area. <br />Conditions of Use Prior to leaving a construction site, stormwater runoff must pass through a <br />sediment pond or trap or other appropriate sediment removal best <br />management practice. Non -engineered sediment traps may be used on -site <br />prior to an engineered sediment trap or sediment pond to provide <br />additional sediment removal capacity. <br />It is intended for use on sites where the tributary drainage area is less than <br />3 acres, with no unusual drainage features, and a projected build -out time <br />of six months or less. The sediment trap is a temporary measure (with a <br />design life of approximately 6 months) and shall be maintained until the <br />site area is permanently protected against erosion by vegetation and/or <br />structures. <br />Sediment traps and ponds are only effective in removing sediment down <br />to about the medium silt size fraction. Runoff with sediment of finer <br />grades (fine silt and clay) will pass through untreated, emphasizing the <br />need to control erosion to the maximum extent first. <br />Whenever possible, sediment -laden water shall be discharged into on -site, <br />relatively level, vegetated areas (see BMP C234 — Vegetated Strip). This <br />is the only way to effectively remove fine particles from runoff unless <br />chemical treatment or filtration is used. This can be particularly useful <br />after initial treatment in a sediment trap or pond. The areas of release must <br />be evaluated on a site -by -site basis in order to determine appropriate <br />locations for and methods of releasing runoff. Vegetated wetlands shall <br />not be used for this purpose. Frequently, it may be possible to pump water <br />from the collection point at the downhill end of the site to an upslope <br />vegetated area. Pumping shall only augment the treatment system, not <br />replace it, because of the possibility of pump failure or runoff volume in <br />excess of pump capacity. <br />All projects that are constructing permanent facilities for runoff quantity <br />control should use the rough -graded or final -graded permanent facilities <br />for traps and ponds. This includes combined facilities and infiltration <br />facilities. When permanent facilities are used as temporary sedimentation <br />facilities, the surface area requirement of a sediment trap or pond must be <br />met. If the surface area requirements are larger than the surface area of the <br />permanent facility, then the trap or pond shall be enlarged to comply with <br />the surface area requirement. The permanent pond shall also be divided <br />into two cells as required for sediment ponds. <br />i <br />Volume II— Construction Stormwater Pollution Prevention -August 2012 <br />4-101 <br />