Severe mudslides and flooding in spring 2014 cut off Blakeley Township, Minnesota, destroying roads and destabilizing slopes and drainage channels leading to the Minnesota River. Barr Engineering selected the GreenArmor® System—Futerra® R45 High Performance-Turf Reinforcement Mat infilled with Flexterra® HP-FGM®—to quickly stabilize the Blakeley Ravine and protect high-discharge waterways. J&L Larson installed 20,000 square yards of HP-TRM with a quick-germinating dormant seed mix in fall 2014. Thanks to a mild winter and the system’s durability, spring vegetation emerged rapidly, turf restoration is progressing quickly, and officials report minimized danger of future mudslides so attention can shift to road and highway repairs.
Key Points
- Spring 2014 mudslides and flooding ravaged Blakeley Township, evacuating residents, destroying roads and isolating the town.
- Barr Engineering specified the GreenArmor System, combining a Futerra TRM with Flexterra HP-FGM, to protect high-discharge waterways.
- The design used 20,000 square yards of Futerra R45 High Performance-Turf Reinforcement Mat (HP-TRM) infilled with Flexterra HP-FGM, installed by J&L Larson with a quick-germinating dormant seed mix.
- Mild winter conditions and the durability of the GreenArmor System led to quick vegetation emergence, rapid turf restoration and minimized danger of future mudslides.
