How should you determine the appropriate BMP for a site’s slope and soils?

• A. Use no BMPs
• B. Ignore the ESC plan
• C. Follow the approved ESC plan and permit requirements, considering soil erodibility, slope, drainage, and site conditions; select BMPs accordingly.
• D. Use the most aggressive BMP

Answer: (C)

The main idea is to select erosion and sediment controls by using the approved plan and permit requirements, while tailoring them to the specific site conditions. The ESC plan lays out the minimum expectations for how sediment should be controlled during construction, and permits specify what must be done and how it will be inspected and maintained.

To pick appropriate BMPs, you start with soil erodibility, slope, and drainage because they directly influence how much sediment can be detached, moved, and delivered off-site. Erodible soils tend to shed sediment more easily, steeper slopes drive faster runoff, and drainage patterns show where water concentrates and where controls are most needed. Site conditions—such as existing vegetation, soil permeability, surface roughness, drainage features, adjacent land use, and timing of construction—affect both the effectiveness of BMPs and the sequencing of controls.

Using the approved ESC plan ensures you meet regulatory expectations, and applying BMPs that correspond to the soil, slope, and drainage realities helps you achieve the intended performance—protecting water quality, reducing sediment delivery, and avoiding unnecessary costs or complications. The plan also guides inspections, maintenance, and adjustments as conditions change.

Why other options aren’t appropriate: there’s no justification for skipping BMPs or ignoring the ESC plan, as that would fail to meet permit requirements and undermine water quality protection. Simply using the most aggressive BMP without considering site specifics can be wasteful or counterproductive and may create new issues. The right approach is a plan-based, site-specific selection that matches controls to the actual erosion risk.