Surface stabilization is an important principle of erosion and sediment control because reducing erosion at the source is more effective and efficient than trying to clean up sediment after it has eroded. Minimizing the disturbance and length of time bare soil is left at the site greatly reduces the potential for erosion and off-site sediment damage. Examples of erosion control are seeding, mulching, erosion control blankets or a chemical such as Polyacrylamide (PAM). A reduction in erosion on a site can also reduce the frequency and expense of maintenance operations.

Whereas sediment control is a practice or device designed to keep eroded soil on a construction site, so that it does not wash off and cause water pollution to a nearby stream, river, or lake. Examples of sediment controls are silt fence and straw wattle. Erosion control devices like erosion control blanket are the first line of defense against a sediment discharge and sediment control devices like dandy bags act as the last line of defense.