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The effect of increasing gravel cover on forest roads for reduced sediment delivery to stream crossings
Author(s) -
Brown Kristopher R.,
McGuire Kevin J.,
Aust W. Michael,
Hession W. Cully,
Dolloff C. Andrew
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.10232
Subject(s) - hydrology (agriculture) , streams , sediment , environmental science , forest road , water quality , cover (algebra) , total suspended solids , geology , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , ecology , forestry , environmental engineering , geography , mechanical engineering , computer network , engineering , computer science , biology , chemical oxygen demand , wastewater
Direct sediment inputs from forest roads at stream crossings are a major concern for water quality and aquatic habitat. Legacy road–stream crossing approaches, or the section of road leading to the stream, may have poor water and grade control upon reopening, thus increasing the potential for negative impacts to water quality. Rainfall simulation experiments were conducted on the entire running surface area associated with six reopened stream crossing approaches in the south‐western Virginia Piedmont physiographic region, USA. Event‐based surface run‐off and associated total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations were compared among a succession of gravel surfacing treatments that represented increasing intensities of best management practice (BMP) implementation. The three treatments were no gravel (10–19% cover), low gravel (34–60% cover), and high gravel (50–99% cover). Increased field hydraulic conductivity was associated with maximized surface cover and ranged from 7.2 to 41.6, 11.9 to 46.3, and 16.0 to 58.6 mm h −1 respectively for the no gravel, low gravel, and high gravel treatments. Median TSS concentration of surface run‐off for the no gravel treatment (2.84 g l −1 ) was greater than low gravel (1.10 g l −1 ) and high gravel (0.82 g l −1 ) by factors of 2.6 and 3.5 respectively. Stream crossing approaches with 90–99% surface cover had TSS concentrations below 1 g l −1 . Reducing the length of road segments that drain directly to the stream can reduce the costs associated with gravel surfacing. This research demonstrates that judicious and low‐cost BMPs can ameliorate poor water control and soil erosion associated with reopening legacy roads. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.