Hydroseeding in Rotterdam, NY

Hydroseeding in Rotterdam often comes with grading questions. The Mohawk River defines the town's northeast line, and the land rises from there; the town's listed elevation is 512 feet. The best example of how steep it gets is the Plotter Kill, a 3.5-mile tributary that drops 900 feet to the Mohawk through a gorge cut by glacial meltwater.

Water carves soft ground

The Plotter Kill gorge is protected in a 632-acre preserve with three waterfalls, the tallest dropping 60 feet. Water and erosion there have exposed rock layers about 450 million years old. On a smaller scale, the same thing happens to an unprotected yard on a slope: runoff concentrates, cuts a channel and keeps going. We grade to spread water out, then seed and mulch, and use blankets in any spot where water will run.

Swales instead of gullies

When a yard has a natural drainage path, we shape it into a broad grass swale rather than fighting it. The swale gets an erosion control blanket and seed, so it can carry water without washing. Where a swale can't carry the load, we dig a trench and lay drainage pipe instead.

Suburban neighborhoods

Rotterdam grew fast between 1940 and 1960, more than doubling to 27,493. Neighborhoods like Colonial Manor date from the 1950s, and Cold Brook was built on a former family estate. Many of those yards need renovation now: aeration, topsoil and overseeding.

Thruway and canal country

The New York State Thruway runs through the town, and the Old Erie Canal's Enlarged Double Lock No. 23 is listed on the National Register. The Mabee House, described as the oldest surviving house in the Mohawk Valley, is here too. Older farm ground near the river can have good soil for lawns.

Got a slope or drainage problem? Get a free estimate or call (518) 690-6268.