Forest road water quality management issues and solutions

Forest Road Water Quality Management

Kay & Associates

Issues and Solutions Affecting Aquatic Life and Habitat

Copyright January 2002

Stream crossing values and impacts

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Aquatic Values -

Water Quality PH, (acid balance) Temperature, Turbidity, Dissolved oxygen

Fish Life Cycles

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Stream characteristics

Riparian area Values of streamside vegetation

Overhanging vegetation Shade Nutrients Bugs

Root systems Armour Hiding places

Large Organic Debris Shade, shelter Scour poolsKay & Associates

Stream crossing

water management

Stream Crossing Water ManagementManaging ditchwater

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Use the duff layer as a filter medium

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Stream Crossing Water ManagementMinimize length/armour ditchlines

Use check-dams to manage water energy

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Stream Crossing Water Management Breach berms / Energy dissipators

Use rip-rap or synthetics eg C350 or P300

And should be impervious

Stream Crossing Water Management Ditch blocks

Consider raising both the approaches and the crossing itself to manage road surface water flow.

Stream Crossing Water Management Rolling grade or dip

Stream Crossing Water Management Road Inslope/Outslope

Manage discharge from road surfaceUse grader berms as a water management tool to

direct water to a safe discharge management area.

Response materials - TOOLS

Spill Kit Adsorbent Pads Boom - dont forget the rope to hold it in place!

Hand tools Shovel / Mattock / Axe / Pry-bar /

Optional tools Chain saw dont forget leg, face, hearing etc

protection!

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Response materials Sediment control

Sediment Control Devices Silt fence Filter cloth Hay bales Erosion control

blankets Sediment sock

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Using spill kit

Using pads Use protective gloves Soak up oil by placing on surface When saturated (full of oil), place in leak-proof

container.

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Using spill kit

Using boom Prior to start of work, place across stream in

quietest possible water downstream from the worksite.

HINT - If water is turbulent, angle the boom across stream and direct oil to a back-water.

Allow for rise and fall of water flow. In the event of a spill, use pads to absorb oil.

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Stream Crossing Sediment Management

Erosion Control - MulchKay & Associates

Check-dams Controlling erosive energy of ditch-line water

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Check-dams Hay bales in ditchline

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Trapped Sediment Vegetated

Rock Bay FSR Ron Frank pointing to silt fence placed alongside road to protect fish bearing ditchline.

Silt fence

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Please refer to hand-out article for silt fence

installation procedures

Hay bales Effective sediment

control?? NO!

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Cut Slope - sediment generator

Oyster River, Glacial till.

Continuous sediment generating source.

Oversteep Continually failing, will not re-vegetate until it reaches a stable angle of repose.Kay & Associates

Cut Slope - sediment generator - Solutions

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Remove failing headscarp (Explosives / Spider excavator)

Slope back to angle of repose (Seldom is a solution)

Provide internal drainage (Gravel / Synthetics / Live pole drains)

Cut off water source (surface / subsurface) Install retaining wall Use Bio-engineering techniques for

stabilization CLASS EXERCISE Slope stabilization

Settling pond using filter cloth

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RED FLAGS

Use as imaginary indicator where there may be a problem

Usually requires investigation There may be a need for;

immediate mitigative measures eg sediment control extra resources eg. Equipment, Load of gravel, manpower etc a combination of planning, engineering, management

involvement

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Debris from mechanical brush-cutting

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Plugged ditchline from brush debris

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Ditchline troubles ?

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Overfull ditches contribute to;

-Detrimental movement of sediments

-Saturated road-bed (becomes prone to pot-holing)

Ponded water in ditchline saturating roadbed

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Transported road surface and ditchline materials in stream channel

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River side channel not recognized

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Problem grader berm, or deliberate sediment control device?


Use grader berms as a sediment management tool to direct water to a safe discharge management area.

Loss of water control - 6% grade

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Detrimental Effects;

Sediment generation = detriment to environment

Loss of road fines = future need for new surfacing materials

Results in - a) lower road travel speeds b) damage to vehicles c) more frequent grading d) costs for re-surfacing

Water running down wheel tracksKay & Associates

Ditchline solution?

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Blocked - Culvert? Ditch?

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Consider rock cross drain rather than culvert

Seepage in road surfaceKay & Associates

Road Surfacing Rock Protrusions Mud in roadbed

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Road Surfacing - Hydraulic Hammer

Considerations; Machine size Hourly rate

Benefits; Less capping

material to obtain cover depth

Road Surfacing - Rock shards

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Road Surfacing Calcium Chloride

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Road Surfacing - Compaction

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Group exercise

Road Surfacing - Additional road surface material

CULVERTS open bottom

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CULVERTS FailuresMost-common causes

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Poor installation practices

Poor material selection for backfill

Inadequate or no Compaction

Lack of, or wrong size armour

Culverts Collateral damage during Maintenance or Replacement

Common errors Brush cutting indiscriminately (loss of

shade) Piling of waste materials over vegetation Sediment run-off from waste piles Digging/disturbance outside of work area Damage to juvenile or mature timber

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Polyethylene used to allow growth of grass for ditchline armour

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Settling pond

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Settling times (1m depth)Coarse silt .2 hrMedium silt 1.3 hrFine silt 14 hrClay 5 daysTimes are approximate, temp of5 C and assuming no turbulence.Silt 0.05mm to 0.002mmClay < 0.002mm

Sediment Sock

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Grading

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Use grader to inslope/outslope road to manage sediment

Roads continually lose surfacing materials, lowering the road, and exposing sub-grade .

Improper grading continually widens the road, impacting on wetlands and watercourses.

Hay bales for sediment miss-control????

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Always remember Do not reduce the flow-capacity of the ditchline!

Do hay bales make good filters? NO

Where to place sediment control?

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Culvert outlet armour

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Failure to armour to the end of erodible materials

Repair or replace?

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would you install lower or raise road?

Bridge approach

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Sediment is running down the road grade and ponding where the truck is parked

Brush control - Sightlines

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Knowledge of materials

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Water - Depth and Velocity

Double the depth =4 times the velocityMoves 64 times in size/weight

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Safety Flooded structures

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Caution:Saturated and unstable banks and culvert fill materialUndermined banks / culverts

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Cave Protection Act

Sensitive landscape

Easily damaged by: Contamination Fire Heavy equipment Altered hydrology

KarstFormations

B 85

A complex landscape sculptured by water

(Diagram of Karst Formation)

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Wet weather shut down

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Practical, well-planned approach for shut-down When there are expected periods

of high saturation When there are prolonged periods of saturation BEFORE ! sediments are started to be

transported

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STOP work;During prolonged saturation periodsDuring intense weather systemsBefore negative effects are experiencedWhen you can not follow the plan - interpretation - changed site materials - changed weather conditions

Shut Down Guidelines

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Know when to seek advice from a professional

Water quality sampling for evidence Evidence gathering

Photo Video Interviews

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General

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FIELD DAY All attendees;The field portion will require full safety gear

MandatoryHard hat Visi-vest Safety footwear

Recommended;Bag lunch Warm clothing Rain gear Gloves

OptionalSunto(inclinometer), Binoculars, Notebook

Safety;- Standard safety procedures

Responsibility does not rest in only one place in any organization.

It is not the sole responsibility of one group. It is not the sole responsibility of one individual.

It is a cooperative and teamwork approach that results in success!

Management Supervisors (superintendent, foremen, etc.) Engineering Accounting

Operators Road users

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Teamwork

Never tell people how to do things

Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity

General George S Patton.

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