BMP Trivia Question

Can you match the definitions with the correct terms?

1. A cross drainage diversion ditch and/or hump in a trail or road for the purpose of diverting surface water runoff into roadside vegetation, duff, ditch or dispersion area to minimize the volume and velocity which can cause soil movement and erosion. ____

2. In forest areas, that portion of precipitation that flows from a drainage area on the land surface or in open channels. ____

3. A drainage depression or ditch built across the top of a slope to divert surface water from that slope. ____

A. Water Body
B. Runoff
C. Waterbar
D. Diversion Ditch
E. Rolling Dip


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The Texas Water Source - March 2010

March Issue of the Texas Water Source Now Available

• Why Have a Forest Management Plan?
• Who Can Help With a Plan?
• Agency Spotlight: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• COE’s Institute for Water Resources
• Bacteria Impairments on Big Cypress Creek
• Lake O’ the Pines Contacts

March BMP Q&A

By: Chris Duncan, BMP Forester (Ret.), Texas Forest Service

Q:  In last month’s article I was asked if there was any truth to the fact that there are sometimes mandatory BMPs which must be followed.

A:  The short answer to this question is that there are no mandatory BMPs you are required to follow, unless you are operating in jurisdictional wetlands. As mandated by Amendments to the Clean Water Act, forest roads in jurisdictional wetlands including “waters of the United States” must be constructed and maintained in accordance with the following Best Management Practices to retain Section 404 permit exemption status:

1. Permanent roads, temporary access roads, and skid trails in waters of the U.S. should be held to the minimum feasible number, width, and total length consistent with the purpose of specific silvicultural operations and local topographic and climatic conditions.
2. All roads, temporary or permanent, should be located sufficiently far from streams or other water bodies (except portions of such roads that must cross water bodies) to minimize discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S.
3. The road fill should be bridged, culverted or otherwise designed to prevent the restriction of expected flood flows.
4. The fill should be properly stabilized and maintained to prevent erosion during and following construction.
5. Discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S. to construct a road fill should be made in a manner that minimizes the encroachment of trucks, tractors, bulldozers, or other heavy equipment within waters of the U.S. (including adjacent wetlands) that lie outside the lateral boundaries of the fill itself.
6. In designing, constructing, and maintaining roads, vegetative disturbance in the waters of the U.S. should be kept to a minimum.
7. The design, construction, and maintenance of the road crossing should not disrupt the migration or other movement of those species of aquatic life inhabiting the water body.
8. Borrow material should be taken from upland sources whenever feasible.
9. The discharge should not take, or jeopardize the continued existence of, a threatened or endangered species as defined under the Endangered Species Act, or adversely modify or destroy the critical habitat of such species.
10. Discharges into breeding and nesting areas for migratory waterfowl, spawning areas, and wetlands should be avoided if practical alternatives exist.
11. The discharge should not be located in the proximity of a public water supply intake.
12. The discharge should not occur in areas of concentrated shellfish population.
13. The discharge should not occur in a component of the National Wild and Scenic River System.
14. The discharge of material should consist of suitable material free from toxic pollutants in toxic amounts.
15. All temporary fills should be removed in their entirety and the area restored to its original elevation.

For more information on mandatory forest road BMPs and other BMPs visit the Texas Forest Service webpage at http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/water, contact me at (903) 297-3910.

* This article was published in the March 2010 issue of the Texas Logger

February BMP Q&A

By: Chris Duncan, BMP Forester (Ret.), Texas Forest Service

Q:  Prior to the rains, I had started installing the roads for an operation on a fairly “wet” tract. Now the tract is much too wet or flooded to push roads in.  I would consider this particular tract to be a bottomland hardwood system. I was told by a buddy that there may actually be mandatory BMPs that I need to follow when installing the road system on this tract.  Is this true?

A:  I’m sorry the rains put your operations on hold, but I am glad to hear that you decided to move off the tract when the rains came.  The bluebook defines bottomland systems as: areas which may or may not be jurisdictional wetlands; include a major water course (either a perennial or intermittent stream) and associated floodplains, tributary water courses, sloughs, and ephemeral drains. The predominant timber type is hardwood, but usually includes some pine.  If this sounds like the area you were working in than the short answer is that there are no mandatory BMPs you are required to follow.

The tricky part is determining whether or not the tract you were working on contains jurisdictional wetlands.  The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (Federal Register, 1982) and the Environmental Protection Agency (Federal Register, 1980) jointly define wetlands as:

“Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency or duration sufficient to support and, under normal circumstances, do support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.  Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.”

The three criteria used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in delineating wetlands are:

Buttonbush is an easy-to-recognize bush that grows in water or moist soil

1. hydrophytic vegetation (plants that have the ability to grow, effectively compete, reproduce, and/or persist in anaerobic soil conditions)

2. hydric soils (soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season for anaerobic conditions to develop)

3. wetland hydrology (inundation by water sufficient to support hydrophytic vegetation and develop hydric soils).

All three must be present under normal circumstances for an area to be identified as a jurisdictional wetland.  It can be very difficult to determine when the criteria of jurisdictional wetlands have been met.  If there are any questions about whether a tract contains a jurisdictional wetland, consult a hydrologist or qualified personnel from the local Natural Resource Conservation Service office.  If the tract does contain jurisdictional wetlands, there are 15 federally mandated BMPs which must be followed.

In next month’s article I will go over the 15 mandatory road BMPs.  I encourage you to attend one of our upcoming BMP Forest Roads Logger Training Workshops for more information.

For more information on mandatory forest road BMPs and other BMPs visit the Texas Forest Service webpage at http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/water, contact me at (903) 297-3910.

* This article was published in the February 2010 issue of the Texas Logger

BMP Trivia Question

Wing ditches collect and direct road surface runoff from one or both sides of the road away from the roadway and into undisturbed areas. Generally, wing ditches should be located no more than ___ feet apart on sites where grades are between 2% and 5%. (Hint: refer to the BMP handbook for wing ditch spacing guidelines)

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The Texas Water Source - January 2010

January Issue of the Texas Water Source Now Available

• Gearing up for Round 8 of Forestry BMP Implementation Monitoring
• Local Forest Landowner Association
• Agency Spotlight: Environmental Protection Agency
• What EPA Does Not Do
• BMP Round 7 Implementation Report
• How to Contact EPA

December BMP Q&A

By: Chris Duncan, BMP Forester (Ret.), Texas Forest Service

Q:   I was signed up for the BMP Forest Roads workshop in Jefferson back in October, but it was cancelled.  I was wondering if you have any information about BMPs for forest roads.

A:   First off, I’m sorry we had to cancel the BMP Forest Roads workshop in Jefferson.  We did not get enough people to sign up for that course.  We may try to schedule another workshop next spring or summer, but we need your support to make these workshops in NE Texas work. Secondly, in the August issue I wrote about several tools which should be used when available to help aid you in the planning process.  Most of these tools are available at little or no cost to you.  In the September issue, I listed several factors to consider when planning your forest road layout.  Last month I addressed the construction phase for new forest roads. This month I will be wrapping up the forest roads article series with a few pointers on road maintenance/repair.

Proper maintenance/repair of permanent forest road access systems is vitally important to all logging and land management activities.  Road systems should be kept in serviceable/usable condition to minimize erosion by controlling rainfall runoff.  Keeping road systems in serviceable/usable condition has several benefits including decreasing down time caused by impassable roads and reducing impacts to water quality.

When possible, restrict traffic on roads during wet weather conditions.  If roads must be used in wet conditions, consider using materials such as wooden mats, gravel, and geo-textile fabrics to protect the road surface from damage.  Haul only during dry weather in normally wet areas, erodible soils, or on roads with a gradient of more than 10%.  Close or restrict traffic flow following maintenance/repair activities on sensitive permanent or temporary roads to allow them time to stabilize, re-vegetate, and heal over before using again.

Inspect road systems at regular intervals to detect and correct any maintenance/repair issues.  Check to make sure that road surfaces are crowned or outsloped to dissipate surface runoff.  Ensure that all ditches and culverts are free from siltation, logging debris, brush, and other obstructions to allow unrestricted passage of water.  Keep road surfaces free of obstructions, ruts, and logging debris which may restrict water flow from the road surface.  Re-work road surfaces to remove ruts when the average rut depth exceeds 6 inches over a distance of more than 50 feet, or when erosion damage may occur from hauling operations.  Care should be taken to avoid creating a “below grade” road when re-working the road surface.

When all forestry activities have been completed re-work the road surface if necessary. Ensure all drainage systems are open, and seed all areas of bare soil on and along the road system which are subject to excessive erosion.  Close or retire any roads which are not currently in use, and periodically inspect them to ensure their integrity.

These are just a few of the guidelines that should be considered while maintaining/repairing forest road systems.  I encourage you to attend one of our upcoming BMP Forest Roads Logger Training Workshops for more information.

For more information on forest road BMPs and other BMPs visit the Texas Forest Service webpage at http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/water, contact me at (903) 297-3910.

* This article was published in the December 2009 issue of the Texas Logger