Reducing Erosional Impacts of Roads

Forestry Technical Note Number MT-14

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Forestry Technical Note Number MT-14 (PDF; 1.5 MB)

1985.
Prepared by Harold E. Hunter, State Staff Forester, Soil Conservation Service, Bozeman, Montana.

Reducing Erosional Impacts of Roads by Walter F. Megahan¹ is an excellent capsulization of basic principles to keep in mind to minimize the erosional impacts of road construction including land use planning, route reconnaissance and location, road design criteria and stabilization measures. A review of the information contained in this Technical Note will help those of us concerned with erosion control on forest lands by serving as condensed overview of the subject and aid in the identification of relevant references to obtain which relate to subject matter areas for which we desire more information.

Reprinted from: 1977. Guidelines for watershed management. FAO Conservation Guide. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. Purchased by the USDA Forest Service for official use.

1. Introduction
2. Erosion Processes
3. Basic Principles
4. Guidelines for Reducing Erosional Impacts of Roads
5. Land Use Planning
6. Route Reconnaissance and Location
7. Road Design
8. Slope Stabilization Measures
9. Construction
10. Road Maintenance
11. Road Closure
12. References

¹ Principal Research Hydrologist and Project Leader, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, US Forest Service, 316 East Myrtle Street, Boise, Idaho, 83706, U.S.A.

If you have any questions regarding this technical note, please contact one of the following:

Robert Logar, State Forester
Phone: (406) 587-6836
Email: Robert.Logar

Ronald Nadwornick, State Resource Conservationist
Phone: (406) 587-6998
Email: Ron.Nadwornick

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Last Modified: 08/18/2008