Best Management Practices Influence Modeled Erosion Rates at Forest Haul Road Stream Crossings in Virginia

Abstract Benefits and costs of Virginia's forestry best management practices (BMPs) were estimated for the Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain regions using three actual nonregulatory phases and one theoretical regulatory phase of forest water quality protection. The four phases ranged from passive, nonregulatory to regulatory BMPs with increasingly restrictive provisions. As the level of regulation increased, the benefit:cost ratio decreased, indicating that costs were accruing at a proportionately greater rate than benefits. This pattern was most pronounced in the Coastal Plain region where average erosion rates were low, and substantial acreages were harvested. Results suggested that an aggressive, nonregulatory BMP program is the most efficient approach to forest water quality protection assuming that overall program compliance levels are sufficient to satisfy society's needs. South. J. Appl. For 20(1):23-29.

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Forestry best management practices for erosion control in haul road ditches near stream crossings

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation ◽

10.2489/jswc.72.6.607 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 72 (6) ◽

pp. 607-618

Author(s):

A.J. Lang ◽

W.M. Aust ◽

M.C. Bolding ◽

K.J. McGuire ◽

E.B. Schilling

Keyword(s):

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Erosion Control ◽

Best Management ◽

Haul Road

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Estimated Sediment Protection Efficiences for Increasing Levels of Best Management Practices on Forest Harvests in the Piedmont, USA

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10110997 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 997

Author(s):

Richard Cristan ◽

W. Michael Aust ◽

M. Chad Bolding ◽

Scott M. Barrett

Keyword(s):

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Weighted Average ◽

Published Data ◽

United States Department ◽

Forest Operations ◽

Sediment Delivery ◽

Erosion Rates ◽

Best Management ◽

Forest Operation

In-stream watershed level evaluations confirm that application of recommended forestry best management practices (BMPs) can minimize sedimentation following management, while on-site erosion research shows that BMPs reduce erosion from individual forest operations, thus implying watershed-level sediment reductions. Assessments of forest operations and sediment have developed very few sediment delivery ratios (SDR). Linking BMP levels (low, standard recommendation, high) within specific forest operations to sedimentation could enable managers to evaluate BMP effects. Reported data regarding forest operations, erosion rates and SDR by forest operation, and BMP implementation levels were sufficient within the Piedmont region to allow approximations of sediment delivery and BMP efficiency. Existing United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service reports and published erosion and sediment research were used to comprise the following method. For regional annual harvests, estimated sediment deliveries (Mg year−1) = annual harvest area (ha year−1) × weighted average erosion rate from all forest operations (Mg ha−1 year−1) × SDR (unitless ratio). Weighted average erosion rates for all forest operations were determined by applying areas in each operational activity (%) × estimated erosion per operation (Mg ha−1 year−1). In comparing published data, standard BMPs reduced estimated sedimentation by 75% compared to low BMP implementation levels. This supports forestry BMP efficiency findings reported for sediment removals in watershed studies. Higher levels of BMP implementation were estimated to potentially remove nearly all forest operation-produced sediment. Values of this pilot study should be viewed cautiously, as estimates were based on limited data, estimated operations, and limited SDRs; are based on BMP categories that vary between states; and address only one year following harvests. However, the approach provided approximations that facilitate BMP evaluations and can be improved with additional data. This methodology highlights the importance of accurate estimates of erosion rates, SDRs, sediment masses, and area for operations. This supports the importance of state programs, which have increased BMP implementation rates and compliance options with BMP program maturation.

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Implementation of Forestry Best Management Practices and Sediment Delivery in Three Regions of North Carolina and Virginia

Forest Science ◽

10.1093/forsci/fxab057 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Brent S Hawks ◽

M Chad Bolding ◽

W Michael Aust ◽

Scott M Barrett ◽

Erik Schilling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North Carolina ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Forest Operations ◽

Sediment Delivery ◽

Management Zones ◽

Erosion Rates ◽

Best Management ◽

Streamside Management Zones ◽

Sediment Mass

Abstract Forestry best management practices (BMPs) were created in response to the Clean Water Act of 1972 to protect water quality from nonpoint source pollutants such as sediment. The objectives of this study were to quantify the relationship between BMP implementation and sediment delivery on 58 recently harvested sites across three physiographic regions and five forest operational features. BMP implementation rates, erosion rates, sediment delivery ratios, and sediment masses were calculated at 183 silt fences functioning as sediment traps adjacent to streams in Virginia and North Carolina. Major access system features, including stream crossings, skid trails, and haul roads, typically delivered the greatest sediment mass to streams and had the highest sediment delivery ratios on a per feature basis. When accounting for sediment mass delivered and area in each feature, harvest area accounted for approximately 70% of sediment delivered to streams for all regions. Most features had proportionally higher erosion rates than sediment masses collected at silt fences, indicating that most erosion generated by forest operations is being trapped by either harvest areas or streamside management zones. For most features and regions, as BMP implementation increased, erosion rates and the sediment masses delivered to streams decreased. Study Implications Forestry best management practices (BMPs) are designed to mitigate the amount of sediment entering streams and affecting other aquatic features as a result of forest operations. In this study, a significant inverse relationship between BMP implementation and the amount of sediment delivered to streams was found, indicating that increasing levels of BMP implementation reduces sediment delivery. Most of the erosion caused by forest operations is being trapped before it is delivered to streams. This research highlights the importance of leaving streamside management zones along streams and minimizing the extent of bare soil and area in temporary and permanent roads.

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