Sediment and Erosion Control Workshop a Huge Success

LTWA partners with NC State Cooperative Extension to bring erosion control workshop to Western North Carolina

On March 3, 2009 the Little Tennessee Watershed Association (LTWA) partnered with the NC State Cooperative Extension to host a workshop entitled “Sediment and Erosion Control in the Mountains” at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin, NC. The workshop was well attended with over 150 people signed up during the preregistration period. There were 60 contractors signed up from the Cherokee area and another 60 attended from Macon, Jackson and Swain counties combined.

Through this partnership, LTWA and the NC State Cooperative Extension were able to secure a commitment from both Macon and Jackson County Governments to offer scholarships to grading and construction professionals in those areas that wished to attend the workshop. In all, Macon County provided scholarships to 43 local contractors and Jackson County sponsored 11 contractors.

“Contractors are facing tough economic times right now, so we felt that it was very important to offer financial assistance for those that are required to attend training to continue to run their businesses” said Jenny Sanders, Executive Director of the Little Tennessee Watershed Association. “We are very pleased with both the quality of the workshop and the turnout.”

The workshop included presentations highlighting background information about the NC Sediment Pollution Control Act of 1973, suggestions for erosion control measures, considerations for working in areas close to streams, and a section detailing local ordinance requirements of Macon and Jackson Counties. All of the attendees received a certificate upon completion of the day long course.

“We feel like this workshop was a big success. Everyone learned something – the contractors learned new techniques, our partners at NC State learned that Western North Carolina needs more training opportunities, and LTWA learned to expect a large crowd to attend future workshops as well.” said Sanders.

Survey results from this workshop showed that there was a significant increase in knowledge about various sediment and erosion control topics, and that many people learned something new that they intend to put to use in the field immediately. Contractors also rated the workshop material that was presented by Soil Scientist Specialist and workshop instructor, Dr. Rich McLaughlin, as highly relevant to their needs.

Future workshops, including a hands-on field training experience, are in the works for later this year.