What starts as a small patch of exposed soil along a creek bank can quietly become an emergency. For one homeowner, that's exactly what happened — and the clock was ticking.
The Problem
The property sat adjacent to a small creek, with a sloped hillside running from the yard down to the water's edge. Over time, runoff and creek flow had begun eating away at the base of that slope. Each rain event accelerated the problem, stripping away soil and undercutting the hillside further. By the time the homeowner called us, the erosion had crept close enough to the home that every storm felt like another inch closer to a structural crisis.
This wasn't a situation that could wait for a scheduled quote and leisurely planning process. It needed an engineered solution — fast.
Before — The Erosion Problem
The Engineered Plan
After assessing the site, we developed a plan centered on one proven solution: erosion pavers. Rather than a simple gravel dump or silt fence stopgap, we designed a proper armored liner for the hillside — a continuous layer of interlocking erosion pavers running from the yard down to and along the creek edge, backed by a compacted gravel base to handle drainage and load distribution.
The key elements of our approach:
- Erosion paver system — Interlocking pavers engineered specifically for slope stabilization and creek-side installation, allowing water to pass through without displacing the hillside beneath.
- Crushed gravel base — A properly graded gravel sub-base was compacted beneath the pavers to provide a stable, free-draining foundation that prevents undermining from subsurface water movement.
- Creek-edge armoring — The most vulnerable section — where the creek's current directly contacts the slope — was given the highest density of paver coverage to resist scour during high-flow events.
- Full slope coverage — The solution lined the entire adjacent hillside, not just the leading edge, to stop erosion from migrating up the slope over time.
The Work
Our crew mobilized quickly. The first phase involved clearing the eroded slope and excavating down to stable subsoil. From there, we graded the hillside to establish a consistent slope angle that would shed water predictably rather than concentrate it in channels.
The gravel base was laid and compacted in lifts, ensuring it would hold under load and not shift with freeze-thaw or saturation cycles. Then came the pavers — set course by course from the creek bank upward, tightly interlocked and keyed into the soil at both the toe and the top of the slope.
Project Progress
The Result
The finished installation transformed a dangerous, actively failing hillside into a stable, armored slope capable of handling heavy rain events and creek flow without losing a grain of soil. The erosion paver system blends into the natural landscape while providing the kind of engineered protection that will hold for decades.
Most importantly, the homeowner no longer has to watch the yard disappear with every storm. The home is protected, the slope is stable, and the creek can do what it does — without taking the property with it.
After — Stabilized & Protected
Facing a Similar Problem?
Creek-side erosion rarely announces itself with much warning. If you're watching soil disappear from your slope, hillside, or creek bank — especially if it's moving toward your home or a structure — don't wait for the next big rain to make the decision for you. Contact Jordan Marine Construction and let's put a proper plan together.