By: Chris Duncan, BMP Forester (Ret.), Texas Forest
Service
Q: A few months ago you wrote a couple of
articles about the planning process which is necessary prior to constructing a
forest road. I found these articles to be very helpful, and I would like to
know if you have any other information on forest roads.
A: In the August issue I wrote about
several tools which should be used when available to help aid in you in the
planning process. Most of these tools
are available at little to no cost to you.
In the September issue, I listed several factors to consider when
planning your forest road layout. This
month I would like to address the construction phase for new forest roads.
Well-constructed forest roads are essential to forest
management activities and are critical in reducing pollution impacts to forest
streams. Poorly constructed forest roads
will always be problematic, and are often very costly to maintain or
repair. Improperly constructed forest
roads are also usually the main cause of sedimentation into forest streams. The following guidelines should be used to
ensure that roads are constructed properly and to reduce the chances for costly
repairs in the future.
Deposits of road building materials are an important
resource for forest management activities.
Excavation of these materials represents a potential for pollution into
forest streams. When possible, balance
cuts and fills so that the excavated material will be deposited in the roadway
fill sections and thereby minimizing the need for borrow pits. To minimize
erosion, cut and fill slopes should be designed at the normal angle of repose
or less.
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| Example of a "below grade" road |
When constructing a new road, it is important to avoid
cutting down to deep and creating a below grade road. Below grade roads occur when the road’s
surface becomes lower than the sides (shoulders) of the road. Below grade roads act as conduits for
rainfall runoff, thereby increasing the chances for erosion and risks to water
quality. Below grade roads are often
very problematic, and can be very costly to repair or maintain.
Another important guideline is to implement necessary BMPs
during the construction phase. Following
this simple guideline will ensure that the road has maximum protection from
erosion both during construction and after construction is complete. It can be costly to come back in after
construction has been completed to fix an erosion problem that may have been
averted by installing the proper BMPs during construction. Installing the proper BMPs during the
construction phase will also help to minimize the adverse effects of rain
during the construction.
Depending on the sites topography, soil type, streams, and
other features; one or more of the following BMPs may need to be installed
during the construction phase: crown and ditch, cross drain culverts, wing
ditches, rolling dips or broad based dips, water bars, rock or other aggregate
materials.
These are just a few of the guidelines that should be
considered before any road construction begins.
I encourage you to attend one of our upcoming BMP Forest Roads Logger
Training Workshops for more information.
* This article was published in the November issue of the Texas Logger
November Issue of the Texas Water Source Now Available
