TL;DR

Freshly cleared ground in Central Texas can move on you—clay gets slick, limestone sheds water fast, and a single storm can carry your topsoil into the street or a creek. The fix isn’t complicated: install silt fence where runoff leaves the site, use mulch as a living blanket (feathered to ~2–3 inches on trails and between trees), and build a stabilized construction entrance so tires don’t track fines to the road. Sequence everything the same day you clear, check after the first rain, and keep a short punch list: repair undermined fence, pull sediment back upslope, refresh rock at the entrance, and never dam water with chips in low spots. If you want one playbook from a local crew that clears and controls erosion the Austin way, you’re in good hands with Ace Excavating Austin.

Table of Contents

Why erosion control matters after a clear

Austin weather doesn’t negotiate. We get fast downpours and long dry spells, plus clays that expand and limestone that sheds. When you clear, you remove the canopy that slowed rain and the understory that filtered sediment. Without a plan, runoff will carve ruts, silt up streets, and upset neighbors—or worse, a drainageway. The good news is that the same-day trio—silt fence, feathered mulch, and a stabilized entrance—handles the majority of residential and small-acre projects, and it buys time for follow-on grading and compaction.

What counts as “disturbed area” on Austin lots

Any place you expose, compact, or transport soil is disturbed. That includes the house pad footprint, driveway alignment, piles you drag with a rake, and the machine track-outs to the street. Forestry mulching leaves roots to hold the slope, but if you’ve thinned heavily, it’s still disturbance because canopy is gone and chips don’t stop concentrated flow by themselves. Treat disturbed ground like a construction site: protect the downslope edges, control vehicle exits, and stabilize high-traffic areas.

Mid-project you’ll likely move from clearing to subgrade shaping. When you’re ready to lock drainage and compaction behind your erosion controls, it’s worth skimming our land grading overview to see how slopes, crowns, and dense native or select fill tie together.

Where silt fence actually goes and how to set it right

Silt fence is not a moat; it’s a filter that slows water so sediment drops out. Putting it at the top of the hill is wasted money; placing it where shallow sheet flow exits the site is money well spent. In Austin neighborhoods, that’s usually the downslope lot line, the alley edge, or the backs of curb where water wants to leave.

Field-proven setup

Trench depth: 6–8 inches. The fabric “toes in” so water can’t sneak under.
Post spacing: 6–8 feet on straights; closer on curves. Drive posts on the upslope side of fabric.
Wrap & overlap: 18–24-inch overlaps at seams; fold around ends like a “J” to keep water from blowing past.
Height: 24–36 inches; tall enough to stall water, not so tall that it topples.
Avoid channels: If flow concentrates to a point, add wattles/checks upslope; silt fence alone will not hold a stream.

Common failures and quick saves

Undermining: Re-trench, re-backfill, and compact with a tamper.
Blowouts at seams: Add a post and re-staple with proper overlap.
Ponding against structures: Re-route with a short “wing” section that walks water to safe ground.

Using mulch as an erosion-control tool, not just a byproduct

Mulch isn’t trash—it’s one of the best BMPs (best management practices) we have when used thoughtfully.

How we use chips the same day we clear

Feather to ~2–3 inches on walking paths and between retained trees; that thickness knits to the soil without turning into a sponge.
Windrow thicker chips away from pad and drive footprints so you’re not double-handling later.
Break up fall lines: Spread chips across bare streaks where water wants to speed up.

What not to do with mulch

Don’t dam drainageways. Chips that block a swale will make a mess upstream and blow out in the first storm.
Don’t bury silt fence in chips; install fence to soil and keep chips upslope.
Don’t pile foot-deep mats on slopes; keep it modest so rain can still reach soil and bind.

When the plan shifts from “stabilize” to “build,” we strip chips from pads and drives during site preparation and either re-spread them as final cover or load them out, depending on the design.

Building a stabilized construction entrance that really works

If you can see the street from your lot, assume a patrol or neighbor will too—track-out is the quickest way to get complaints. A stabilized entrance is simply a short, tough rock pad that knocks mud off tires before they hit pavement.

Austin-ready entrance recipe

Location: Wherever tires first reach the street. If you have two exits, stabilize both or gate the second.
Fabric: Put non-woven geotextile under the rock so it doesn’t pump into clay.
Rock size and depth: 3–6 inches of 2–3 inch rock (flex base is too fine; it’ll migrate).
Length and width: 20–30 feet long, at least 10 feet wide (wider if trucks swing).
Maintenance: Rake off fines after storms; top up rock when you see clay pumping through.

If you already tracked out, broom and shovel the street the same day. Don’t hose sediment into storm inlets—you’ll just move the violation downstream.

Wattles, check berms, and inlet protection you can deploy fast

Silt fence and entrances do the heavy lifting, but a few extras make you storm-ready:

Straw wattles / fiber rolls

Drop them perpendicular to flow on slopes—think mini speed bumps that slow water, spaced every 30–60 feet depending on steepness.
Stake ends so water doesn’t sneak around.

Check berms

In temporary ditches or along a driveway swale, a small rock check knocks down velocity. Keep the center of the berm slightly lower so water flows through, not around.

Inlet protection

If you border a storm inlet, use gravel bags or a manufactured curb inlet guard. Do not smother the grate; you want water to enter slowly without hauling sediment, not to flood the street.

Sequencing the day-of-clearing workflow

Your erosion control is only as good as your sequence. This is how we work a typical day so the site never sits unprotected:

Morning site walk: Flag keep trees, mark downslope edges, note where water wants to leave.
Cut with the exit in mind: Mulch or push brush away from downslope lines so there’s room to install fence and wattles.
Install silt fence before lunch: Toe, post, and overlap correctly; add wattles on steeper slices.
Build the rock entrance: Fabric down, rock in, then roll/compact with a machine pass.
Feather mulch and clean travel paths: Two to three inches between trees and along trails; pull chips off pad and driveway alignments.
Final check: Make sure fence ends are hooked, chips aren’t damming swales, and the street is clean.

This rhythm lets you handle a surprise storm the same evening without sprinting back to the yard.

Post-storm inspections and quick fixes

First rain after clearing is the truth serum. Walk the site with a short checklist:

Fence toe line: Any gaps or undercuts? Re-trench and tamp.
Sediment fans: Shovel fines back upslope behind the fence; don’t dump over it.
Rock entrance: If clay is pumping through, add rock and re-roll.
Wattle anchors: Re-stake ends tight to the ground.
Inlet guards: Clear debris so they don’t become dams.
Mulch mats: Rake down any places where chips drifted into low points.

Five to thirty minutes of touch-up after storm one will save hours after storm three.

Production realities, materials, and timelines in our soils

How long this really takes (typical residential to small-acre jobs):

Silt fence: 200–400 linear feet per small crew in a few hours, faster with a walk-behind trencher.
Entrance: Fabric + rock pad in 1–2 hours once materials are on site.
Mulch feathering: Part of the clearing pass; a good operator finishes as they go.

Material notes we use on nearly every job

Silt fence fabric: Woven with UV resistance; don’t buy the cheapest roll on the rack.
Posts: Wood or T-posts; in rocky ground, steel saves time and wrists.
Rock: Washed 2–3 inch. If a quarry is out, we upsize, not downsize.
Geotextile under entrances: The difference between a pad that survives August and one that sinks in May.

Safety, neighbor etiquette, and compliance tips

Locates first, always: 811 before any trench, post, or tree pull—utilities hug lot lines and drive edges.
PPE and dust control: Masks and eye protection when cutting limestone; water on hand when it’s dry and windy.
Property lines: Set temporary line stakes; fences and plantings rarely sit dead-on the survey.
Noise windows: Forestry mulching is quieter than chainsaws and chippers, but let neighbors know your start/stop times.
Photos & logs: Snap your BMPs once installed and after storms. If anyone asks “was it in place,” you’ll have proof.

As you move from protection to shaping, make sure the erosion plan connects to subgrade and compaction. Our land clearing and site preparation guide explains how we go from “freshly cleared” to “build-ready” without paying twice.

FAQs

Do I need silt fence if I only mulched selectively?

If the disturbed area is small and flat with plenty of vegetative cover left, sometimes mulch alone handles it. But if water exits your lot toward a street or downslope neighbor, install a short run of fence—it’s inexpensive insurance.

How thick should mulch be for erosion control?

Aim for ~2–3 inches on paths and between trees. Thicker mats can trap water and float. Keep chips out of low channels and off pad/drive footprints.

What if my lot exits onto a busy street?

Build a longer rock pad and consider a second layer of coarser stone to really scrub tires. Sweep the street the same day if you track out—don’t hose fines into inlets.

Can I skip geotextile under my entrance?

You can, but you’ll regret it. Fabric keeps the rock from pumping into clay and extends the life of the pad through storm cycles.

Will silt fence kill the grass line at the neighbor’s side?

Installed correctly, it sits a few inches into soil and pulls later with minimal mark. We communicate ahead of time and align with property lines to avoid surprises.

Prepare Your Property for the Next Phase

If your property is freshly cleared—or about to be—we’ll get erosion controls in place the same day, then hand you a simple inspection checklist for the first storm. When you’re ready, we roll straight into shaping slopes, building pads and drives, and trenching utilities without tearing anything back up.

Request a visit and estimate today or call (512) 236-5135 to lock a time on the calendar and get a clear, line-item scope for your next phase.

Erosion Control After Land Clearing: Silt Fence, Mulch, and Stabilized Entrances