Erosion Control

American Excelsior Company—the inventor of the Curlex® brand and biodegradable erosion control blankets—has been the most trusted name in erosion control for 50 years.

ErosionWorks®

Our free rainfall and channel erosion analysis and design software program.

ErosionLab®

The industry leader for testing erosion and sediment control products, education programs and research.

Erosion Control Overview

Have you ever wondered why Curlex® is so popular?

If so, find out by viewing our Curlex Features and Benefits document.

Rolled Erosion Control Products (RECPs) are fibrous products, manufactured out of either natural materials (e.g. Curlex® aspen excelsior wood fibers, straw and coconut fiber), synthetic materials (e.g. polyester) or a mixture of natural and synthetic materials.  Erosion Control Blankets (ECBs) are degradable RECPs and Turf Reinforcement Mats (TRMs) are RECPs that contain synthetic components.  RECPs are used primarily to slow water runoff, provide effective sediment and erosion control, and enhance re-vegetation. These products are commonly applied to channel and ditch linings, slopes, culvert inlets and outfalls, riverbanks, and levees amongst many other applications.

RECPs are classified as short term, long term, or TRMs.  Sediment Control Products assist when soil particles become entrained in runoff.

American Excelsior offers a wide variety of erosion control blankets under the Curlex® brand and other specialized products, like the QuickGRASS® Pro, to meet a plethora of needs.

Short-Term Erosion Control Blankets

The Original Curlex® Erosion Control Blanket

Designed using cuts of Great Lakes aspen fibers, these blankets were developed in the early 1960s to provide ideal conditions for grass seed growth, while simultaneously shielding the topsoil from water and wind erosion. These blankets also have a built-in swell factor, which allows the fibers to expand and form a stronger matrix when wet.

Curlex® CL Blankets

A cheaper, lighter version of the original Curlex Erosion Control Blanket®, this blanket promotes superior vegetation establishment support when compared to straight-lined fiber blankets (e.g. straw).

AEC Premier Straw® Blankets

Top quality agricultural straw fibers, which are certified weed seed free, are stitched in single or double netting to the top side or on both sides of the erosion control blanket.

Curlex® NetFree™ Blankets

A 100% biodegradable erosion control blanket made from sturdy, interlocking, curled and barbed Great Lakes aspen fibers which require no netting to support the structure, resulting in little to no incidences of tripping and animal trapping.

Long-Term Erosion Control Blankets

Curlex® Double Net (Curlex® II)

An organic, consistently thick, specific cut of Great Lakes Aspen curled wood excelsior with at 80% of six inches or greater fiber length.

Curlex® III

Made from Great Lakes Aspen excelsior fibers, these blankets encourage ideal growing conditions and provide seed and topsoil protection for up to 36 months.

AEC Premier Coconut™

Made from the finest quality strands of coconut fiber, this erosion control blanket is stitched together using a special UV-enhanced heavy black net on top and bottom.

AEC Premier Straw/Coconut™ Blankets

70% of the finest quality weed seed-free agricultural straw and 30% top quality strands of coconut fiber are intertwined and evenly distributed in the erosion control blanket and stitched with a UV-enhanced black net on top and a UV-enhanced green net on the bottom.

Turf Reinforcement Mats (TRMs)

Permanent turf reinforcement mats, for long-term protection against wind and water erosion, are a natural choice in place of stone or riprap in swales, ditch bottoms, and on long, steep slopes.

TriNet® Family of TRMs

TriNet® Family of TRMs: Three-netted heavy-duty TRMs for permanent protection in critical areas where vegetation alone requires extra protection from shear stress forces.

Curlex® Enforcer®

A bio-composite turf reinforcement mat designed for service of at least 36 months or more, this erosion control blanket is made from naturally seed-free Great Lakes Aspen excelsior fibers bound by 2 layers of extra heavy-duty black UV-enhanced netting to ensure permanent reinforcement between root systems and the established vegetation.

 

Recyclex® TRM and Recyclex® TRM-V

The first environmentally responsible turf reinforcement mat made from 100% recycled post-consumer goods designed to meet the most difficult erosion and sediment control challenges.

Sediment Control Devices

Curlex® Bloc

A naturally seed-free and nontoxic alternative to coir logs, these Blocs are high-density, natural filters designed to start degrading during the first year of its 3-year lifespan to allow seed and sediment into the Curlex fiber matrix.

AEC Premier Straw® Wattles

Made from certified weed-seed-free straw fibers, the dense nature of the finest quality agricultural straw fibers encased in durable netting allows water to pool instead of filtering through.

Curlex® Hi-Vis Excelsior Logs

Curlex Hi‐Vis Excelsior Logs are easy to move with their durable handles. But, the best part of them is what you don’t see. These are the only high‐visibility logs filled with the naturally seed‐free Great Lakes Aspen Curlex fibers that you know and trust.

Curlex® Sediment Log®

Designed to reduce the velocity of flowing water and filter out sediment, these environmentally-friendly, degradable sediment logs are made up of intricate, interlocked fiber log matrices.

Curlex® SiltTRAP™

A temporary buffer strip that offers a unique way of trapping and capturing sediment before it is washed away, filling gutters and clogging pipes. The naturally seed-free SiltTRAP™ fibers filter soil from the runoff and offer a mess-free alternative to silt fences.

Products

Applications

Utility Transmission Right-Of-Way

Challenge

Post construction land restoration at remote sites

Goal

Environmental remediation after utility construction

Solution

Use our products for EPA/NPDES compliance

Benefit

Faster re-vegetation of natural landscape

Residential Development

Challenge

Protect topsoil & grass seed in common and residential areas

Goal

Provide BMPs to aid the developer in complying with Phase I and Phase II sediment retention regulations

Solution

Keep topsoil in place, contain sediment, provide aesthetics and enhance germination

Benefit

A perfect system for keeping sediment out of inlets and storm drains, while providing erosion protection in swales and around pond slopes