If you’re looking for an affordable, fast, and environmentally friendly way to repair your shoreline and protect against erosion, Superior Groundcover has the answer. We are proud to add SOX Erosion Solutions™ to the suite of products available for our customers. Our experienced staff can install SOX on lakeshores, riverbanks, and even hillsides or berms to prevent erosion on your property. This will not only make your shoreline look better and decrease safety hazards, but it will also help support local wildlife.
What Are SOX Erosion Control Solutions?
SOX are patented, bioengineered products that can build a stable and long-lasting shoreline. In plain terms, they really are like a large sock that can be attached to a shoreline and filled with natural material to create a clean and stable barrier against erosion.
Superior Groundcover carries two main versions of the product. DredgeSOX® are filled with dredged shallow sediment and are typically the best option for erosion control on bodies of water. ShoreSOX® are filled with local, organic material such as topsoil or mulch which is then graded before the mesh is closed overtop of it. ShoreSOX are typically the preferred choice for hillsides and berms.
How Do SOX Differ from Other Shoreline Solutions?
Unlike similar erosion control products, SOX are made from a double layer of high-density, double-knitted polyethylene mesh with rip-stop technology. They are designed to be porous enough to allow plants to grow through them to allow for solid root structure while remaining strong enough to maintain their structural integrity. This allows them to create a living shoreline that fits naturally with the surrounding environment while increasing its aesthetic appeal.
How Are SOX Installed?
SOX are designed to be installed quickly and with minimal impact to the environment. That’s especially true when done by our experienced crew of soil, landscape, and erosion control specialists.
In order to install SOX, the crew will place stakes every three feet in the affected area, then tie ropes to the stakes and secure the closest side of the SOX to them. They will then use a truck to blow in organic material to fill the SOX. Once the process is complete, they will roll the mesh layer over the material and tie the other side of the SOX to the stakes. Then they will hammer the stakes deep into the ground and cover the area with sod or seed. Soon the SOX and surrounding area will be covered with grass and blend right into the shoreline.
Where Can SOX Be Deployed?
SOX flexible design allows them to be deployed in a variety of scenarios, both on bodies of water and on dry land.
Stream Banks
The flowing water in rivers and streams can eat away at their banks over time. You can prevent that by building a protective barrier with SOX. Stopping erosion can also prevent the actual course of the river from changing since sediment that is broken away from one place on the bank is often deposited somewhere else. While this process typically happens gradually over the course of years, severe flooding can greatly increase it, causing noticeable changes to a shoreline within just a few days.
Shorelines
DredgeSOX erosion control solutions are also effective at preventing erosion on shorelines that can be caused by wind or water. You can inspect your shoreline for erosion by looking for areas where the land looks like it is sinking into the water, or if there appears to be a small cliff where parts of the land have become detached and fallen in. Another likely indicator is the exposed roots of trees or other plants.
Slopes
While slopes aren’t constantly battered by waves, they can still experience significant erosion from wind, stormwater runoff, and human activity. ShoreSOX are specifically designed to fit into the contours of a hill, slope, or berm and create a safe and effective barrier against erosion.
Lake Banks
The banks of large bodies of water, such as Lake Michigan, and smaller lakes both experience erosion. While the waves of a small lake may not get as high as those on Lake Michigan, smaller lakes can still experience erosion from flooding, stormwater runoff, and human activity. SOX can create an effective barrier against waves, wind, and other factors.
Ponds
We know landowners enjoy the aesthetic quality that a pond can bring to their property, but upkeep can be a challenge. Pond shores can be vulnerable to erosion from flooding and from animals such as muskrats digging holes into the banks that cause the land to collapse. Once that happens, it can be difficult to restore those banks without a lot of digging and filling, which can be tiring and expensive work. SOX allow landowners to restore the banks of their ponds to a clean and straight grass edge that will last for many years.
Beaches and Dunes
While beaches and dunes make for great recreational areas, they can also be susceptible to erosion from wind, water, motor vehicles, and more. The protective barrier created by SOX can help prevent such erosion without destroying the aesthetic appeal or inserting unnatural components into an area.
Stormwater Flood Areas
Even if your bank or shoreline does not experience significant erosion from natural attrition, it can still be susceptible to unpredictable rainfall and flooding. SOX provide an affordable and proactive way to protect your land from stormwater flooding.
Why Choose Superior Groundcover?
Our staff are experts at installing erosion control solutions. We ensure as little disruption to your land and property as possible and can install SOX within a matter of hours. Professional installation will ensure the SOX creates a seamless blend from the SOX to the shore. Before long, grass and other plants will cover the area and you won’t even be able to tell that SOX is there.
What Other Erosion Control Products Does Superior Provide?
Superior Groundcover has a wide range of affordable tools at our disposal to repair and prevent erosion in a variety of situations. With climate change making the problem of erosion even worse for many property owners, it’s never been a better time to start installing erosion control solutions.
