Field Guide for Maintaining Rural Roadside Ditches Protecting Lakes and Streams through Proper Ditch Maintenance ––––––––––––––––– Funded by ––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––– Created by ––––––––––––––––––– Field Guide for Maintaining Rural Roadside Ditches Protecting Lakes and Streams through Proper Ditch Maintenance By Fortin Consulting, Inc.; University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program; and the Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth Electronic copies of this document are available at www.seagrant.umn.edu. ©2014 Regents of the University of Minnesota All rights reserved. e University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator. Printed in the United States of America 3 is field guide is dedicated to the professionals, contractors, local government employees, and state road crews who perform routine ditch maintenance throughout northeastern Minnesota. Acknowledgments Special thanks to the state, city, township and county employees, along with private contractors, who contributed comments and shared their insights on ditch challenges. is information helped shape the contents of this field guide. is field guide was created by the following people and groups: Project Management and Editing • Dr. Valerie Brady, University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) • Dr. Richard Axler, NRRI • Jesse Schomberg, University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program Project Leader and Writers: Fortin Consulting, Inc. • Connie Fortin • Carolyn Dindorf • Katie Farber • Nancy Mulhern • Lauren Tjaden Engineering and Hydrology Consultant • Ali Durgunoglu, P.E., Ph.D. Engineering Northeast Minnesota Ditch Maintenance Technical Expert Committee • Ryan Hughes, Board of Water and Soil Resources • Tom Johnson, City of Duluth • Cliff Bentley, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources • Shelly Micke, Minnesota Department of Transportation • Tom Schaub, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 4 • Kelly Smith, Carlton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) • Keith Anderson, SWCD Technical Services Area 3, Northeastern Minnesota • St. Louis County Public Works Department Staff • Marty Rye, United States Forest Service Reviewers • Caitlin Fortin, Fortin Consulting, Inc. • Meredith Moore, Fortin Consulting, Inc. • Joan Weyandt, Board of Water and Soil Resources • Dwayne Stenlund, Minnesota Department of Transportation • Vicky Dosdall, Lawn and Driveway Service, Inc. Editors and Editorial Assistance: University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program • Sharon Moen • Russell Habermann • Garrett Kunz Production: University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program Photographs: Provided by Fortin Consulting, Inc., unless noted Diagrams: Ideas by Fortin Consulting, Inc., or Ali Durgunoglu unless noted; illustrations by Karen Hoeft, Hoeft Design , Field Guide for Maintaining Rural Roadside Ditches was made possible by a grant funded under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (project #: GL00E00557-0) to the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute (contribution number 573) and Minnesota Sea Grant (publication number SH 14). Minnesota Sea Grant is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Minnesota. 5 Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 • Why Ditch Maintenance? ............................................................................................................................................... 13 • Why Are Road Ditches Important? ................................................................................................................................. 13 IDENTIFYING DITCH PROBLEMS ............................................................................................................................... 15 DITCH MAINTENANCE CATEGORIES ........................................................................................................................ 16 • Maintenance vs. Redesign ............................................................................................................................................... 17 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE • Correcting Sediment Buildup ........................................................................................................................................ 27 • Disposing of Ditch Spoils .............................................................................................................................................. 27 • Unblocking Blocked Culverts ........................................................................................................................................ 28 • Battling Beavers ............................................................................................................................................................. 28 • Replacing Damaged Culverts: Same Size, Same Type ..................................................................................................... 29 • Controlling Minor Erosion at Culvert Ends ................................................................................................................... 29 • What to do About Water Moving Alongside Culverts .................................................................................................... 31 • Stabilizing Ditch Banks .................................................................................................................................................. 31 • Setting Seed ................................................................................................................................................................... 32 • Preventing Erosion After Seeding ................................................................................................................................... 36 • Installing Erosion Control Blankets ............................................................................................................................... 39 • Other Ideas to Keep ings in Place .............................................................................................................................. 41 • Installing Check Dams .................................................................................................................................................. 42 • Managing Vegetation ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 • Working with Protected Plants, Invasive Species, and Noxious Weeds ........................................................................... 45 • Best Management Practices to Control Invasive Plants and Noxious Weeds ................................................................... 46 6 • Inspecting and Recording Your Work ............................................................................................................................. 47 • Cleaning up the Site ...................................................................................................................................................... 47 NON-ROUTINE MAINTENANCE • Perennially Flowing Ditches, Streams and Wetlands ....................................................................................................... 49 • When to Involve an Engineer ....................................................................................................................................... 49 • Major Side Slope Erosion ............................................................................................................................................... 50 • Excavation that Changes Ditch Shape ............................................................................................................................ 50 • Replacing a Stream-crossing Culvert .............................................................................................................................. 51 • Replacing Damaged Culverts: Different Size or Type ..................................................................................................... 51 • When to Change Culvert Size......................................................................................................................................... 52 • Installing Riprap ............................................................................................................................................................ 52 • Heading Off Headcuts ................................................................................................................................................... 54 • Check on Channel Incisions .......................................................................................................................................... 55 REGULATIONS AFFECTING DITCH MAINTENANCE .............................................................................................. 57 MAINTENANCE CHECKLISTS ...................................................................................................................................... 60 • Pre-maintenance Checklist ............................................................................................................................................