“A Water Quality and Stream Habitat Protection Manual for County Road Maintenance in Northwestern California Watersheds”
The
purpose of the 5C Roads Maintenance manual is to provide a user-friendly,
fish-friendly guide for county road maintenance staff. Once adopted by counties,
this manual will provide a framework for the implementation of improved road
maintenance practices.
Many
rivers within the Five Counties area have been identified as sediment impaired
under the Section 3(d) of the federal Clean Water Act. 5C has recognized the
need to access and reduce sediment associated with road management and has
undertaken a series of long-term actions and committments toward that goal.
5C plans to receive ESA approval for the manual and to integrate it into local
TMDL implementation plans. The best available management practices (BMP's)
are incorporated into the manual in order to minimize impacts of routine road
maintenance on water quality and salmonid habitat. BMP's are associated with
routine and emergency repair as well as maintenance of county roads, bridges,
maintenance yards, snow and ice removal, spoils disposal, training, monitoring
and reporting. In combination with road erosion inventories and sediment reduction
projects, the manual represents 5C's long-term committiment to water quality.
The manual includes input from the CA Department of Fish and Game Region I,
the Northcoast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NRWCB) and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administion Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries, formerly
National Marine Fisheries Service). The manual has been adopted by Del Norte
and Trinity Counties and is being prepared for adoption in Humboldt, Mendocino
and Siskiyou Counties are implementing the Manual. Periodic updates and revisions
are anticipated based on feedback and monitoring.
NMFS 4(d) Rule Approval -
NMFS 4(d) Rule Submission -
5C Final Submittal Package (Download PDF file 262 KB)
Figures included in 4d Package -
Migration Barrier Project Maps for:
Del Norte - Humboldt - Mendocino - Siskiyou - Trinity
Roads Manual (Download PDF File 10,576 KB)
Roads
Manual Chapters:
Introduction
(Download PDF File 231 KB)
Chapter 1: Working in the Watershed (PDF File 612 KB)
Chapter 2: Following the Rules (PDF File 1,031 KB)
Chapter 3: Maintaining the Roads (PDF File 702 KB)
Chapter 4: Maintaining the Culverts (PDF File 1,098 KB)
Chapter 5: Disposing the Soil (PDF File 525 KB)
Chapter 6: Managing the Maintenance Yard (PDF File 1,359 KB)
Chapter 7: Maintaining the Bridges (PDF File 272 KB)
Chapter 8: Performing Emergency Work (PDF File 271 KB)
Chapter 9: Dealing with Snow and Ice (PDF File 301 KB)
Chapter 10: Monitoring the Practices (PDF File 231 KB)
Chapter 11: Training the Staff (PDF File 193 KB)
Chapter 12: Information Sources (PDF File 261 KB)
Appendices
Appendix A: Getting the Permits (PDF File 811 KB)
Appendix B: BMP Standard Designs (PDF File 4,021 KB)
Appendix C: Culvert Criteria for Fish Passage (PDF File 75 KB)
Appendix D: Water Drafting Guidelines (PDF File 179 KB)