Appendix_B_Wet_Weather_Operation_Standards 1 .pdf

Appendix B

WET WEATHER OPERATION STANDARDS

(05/16/02)

Timber Sale Contract (TSC) Provision B5.12 - Use of Roads by Purchaser, states in part "...Purchaser is authorized to use existing National Forest roads...when such use will not cause damage to the roads or

National Forest resources and when hauling can be done safely." Provision B6.31 - Operating Schedule states in part "Subject to B6.6 and when the requirements of B6.65 are met, Purchaser's operations may be conducted outside Normal Operating Season."

Logging operations may be conducted outside the Normal Operating Season (NOS), however, certain requirements must be met in order to have operations proceed during this period. Compliance with pertinent Best Management Practices (BMPs) by the Purchaser is necessary to meet water quality requirements as agreed to between the State of California and the US Forest Service. The following standards are intended to further clarify Timber Sale Contract requirements by providing specific criteria for conducting sale operations during wet weather conditions and to facilitate consistent implementation across the Klamath National Forest.

The following guidelines are to be used to determine if conditions are favorable for wet weather/winter operations and to provide guidance as to when conditions warrant suspension of operations, when operations may begin or resume, or when and what remedies may be appropriate. These guidelines also apply within the Normal Operating Season (NOS) when prolonged periods of wet weather are encountered. These standards were developed to protect water quality. Protection measures for other resources and facilities, such soils and transportation system, are addressed in the Timber Sale Contract and other Forest Service standards and guides.

A. General Guidelines:

* Operations will be continually monitored by the Purchaser and the Forest Service, including: sale administration personnel, purchaser representatives, and resource specialists. Conditions may change as operations progress during the wet season. If detrimental effects to the transportation system, water quality, or soil resources are encountered by either party, immediate notification of designated sale administrative personnel by either the Purchaser or Forest Service shall occur. The Purchaser and Forest

Service will work together to develop actions necessary to alleviate these effects.

* BMP guidelines dictate that no sediment/contaminant flow into stream courses from any facility used by the Purchaser, including B. Roads, C. Skid Trails, Cableways, or Harvest Areas, D. Landings, and E.

Fueling Locations, will be permitted at any time. BMP measurable thresholds, listed in paragraph “2)” under the major headings below (BMP indicators that operations should be curtailed and/or corrective actions implemented), warn the Purchaser and the Forest Service that BMP violations are possible if action is not taken. Expression of any of these BMP indicators does not necessarily indicate BMP violation(s) and degradation of water quality has occurred.

B. Roads:

General - Hauling/Access Use:

* Required road work for prehaul must be accomplished prior to the wet season or periods of precipitation. Saturated road surfaces should not be graded. At least 2" of snow should remain on the road surface after snow plowing. Road surfaces must be at a standard and maintenance level that will support the impacts of wet weather operations. This includes the following:

1) Actions that augment BMP compliance:

Wet Conditions

* Drainage structures and erosion/sediment prevention actions will be in place and functioning prior to expected precipitation events.

* Roads will be properly graded and ditched or outsloped.

* Portions of roads that lie within Streamside Management Zones (SMZs) and road locations where eroded material is likely to enter channels will be rocked to Forest Service specifications and geotextile fabric used when appropriate, unless otherwise agreed, with input from a resource specialist and an engineer.

* Operations will be scheduled to use roads in order to avoid the risk of rutting during

"precipitation events."

* By agreement, use of the variable tire pressure option can be used to reduce surface replacement and will reduce purchaser road maintenance costs.

Snow Conditions

* Snow will be removed without disturbing the road surface, cut bank, fill slope, or drainage structures. No soil or aggregate should be intermixed with the sidecast snow during plowing or grading. At least 2" of snow should remain on the road surface after snow plowing.

* Snow berms must be breached, except in sensitive areas, to allow proper road drainage. These outlets must be spaced so as not to concentrate road surface flows (usually spaced no more than

200 feet apart). Erosion control structures (straw bales or filter fence) may be required at the outlets to collect road generated sediment.

Frozen Conditions

* If the road surface freezes, the road surface segments must remain completely frozen and must be able to support the weight of any vehicle that will be driven on it. If the road thaws, see below...

* When any part of the active road length thaws and mitigations, such as rocking, cannot be implemented to ensure water quality protection, the road will not be used. This will preclude the use of the road by all vehicles (including administrative) unless the activity can be restricted to that portion of the road that remains frozen.

2) BMP indicators that operations should be curtailed and/or corrective action implemented:

CULVERTS:

[1] Sediment and/or debris is blocking 30% of inlet or outlet.

[2] More than 10% of the flow passes beneath or around culvert, or noticeable piping erosion evident, unless crossing is designed to do so (e.g., coarse material rock fill)

EROSION:

[3] Scour and/or sediment deposition evident, and extending more than 20 feet below outlet of cross drain or other drainage structure (e.g., culvert, rolling dip, waterbar).

[4] Scour &/or sediment movement into SMZ or drainageway from road surface, cut slope, or fill slope.

[5] Material sidecast within 25 feet of a channel, ditch or drainageway, or onto slopes vegetated for erosion control.

PONDING:

[6] Ponding present on road surface that is causing fill subsidence or otherwise threatening integrity of fill.

RUTS/RILLS:

[7] More than 10% of road segment length has rills or ruts more than 2 inches deep and 20 feet in length which continue off road surface, with potential to deliver sediment to stream channel.

[8] Ruts formed that can channel water past erosion control structures.

[9] Numerous rills present at stream crossing (>1 rill per lineal 5 ft), apparently active or enlarging, evidence of some sediment delivery to stream.

3) Operating Requirements & Remedies:

* If more than 10 percent of the road segment length is rutted 2 inches in depth or greater, purchasers use of the road will be suspended. (Percentage will be determined in one mile increments if road is longer than one mile). If the road is to remain closed, it must have a barrier of some type installed to keep out all vehicular traffic and signed to keep traffic off road surface.

* If the roadway dries and can support vehicles without causing rutting, soil displacement, damage to drainage structures, and with no off-site sediment movement, it can be used. If not, it should remain unused.

* Roads damaged by Purchaser's Operations and associated damage will be repaired at the

Purchaser's expense. A remedy plan will be prepared and implemented. Repair work shall be accomplished immediately when conditions are such that additional damage to the resources will not occur or when designated by the Forest Service.

Native Surfaced Roads and Other Roads Identified for Special Hauling Requirements

* The native surfaced roads and other roads listed below are located in sensitive soils that are prone to road surface damage during wet weather use. There shall be no log hauling on these roads during precipitation events. The timber sale operator shall allow an adequate drying period after a rain occurrence prior to resumption of hauling (normally 1 day depending on soil type and/or as determined by Purchaser and Forest Service Rep.).

Road Number Length (miles) Termini - Termini

Rocking Roads

* Locations where road rocking is required to harden the road surface for wet weather haul will be designated in writing and flagged on-the-ground by the Engineering Rep. or Sale Administrator.

Minimum depth of rock that meets engineering specifications will be established in writing and inspected by the Forest Service prior to use of the road for hauling outside the NOS.

C. Skid Trails/Cableways/Harvest Areas:

Skid trails will be flagged by the Purchaser and approved by the Forest Service in advance of falling.

General

* No more than 15% of the activity area (includes temporary roads, landings, skid trails, and cableways [cable corridors]) should be subjected to detrimental ground-disturbing activities.

Ground-disturbing activities produce adverse changes in soil porosity (compaction), soil cover, and soil organic matter.

Snow/Frozen Conditions

* Snow can act as a cushion to to protect wet soils. Unless otherwise agreed, within the operating area, a minimum of 6 inches of machine compacted snow with a minimum water content of 2 inches is required for over-the-snow logging or the soil should be frozen to a depth of 6 inches for logging operations to occur (frozen soil occurs primarily on the Goosenest District). When the snow depth approaches this minimum, snow conditions must be monitored on a daily basis to verify snow depth is sufficient to start or continue operations. Approval to operate on snow less than indicated above must include an evaluation by a soil scientist or hydrologist. At least 90% of the skidding surfaces must meet the above snow cover standard at all times. If snow cover falls below 90%, see section 2) below for "bare ground" standards.

Wet Conditions

Skyline - No Specified pre-conditions.

Cut-to-Length System - Processing of material on the designated skid trails by a harvester may occur when soils are dry to a depth of 4 inches. Limit harvester to 1 or 2 passes over the same piece of ground. The forwarder will stay on designated skid trails covered with a minimum of 6 inches of slash.

Feller/Buncher System - Movement of material to the designated skid trails by a track laying feller/buncher may occur when soils are dry to a depth 4 inches. Feller/buncher will be limited to 1 or 2 passes over the same piece of ground. Skidding equipment will stay on designated skid trails until soils are dry to a depth of 10 inches.

Traditional Tractor Logging - Skidding may occur by conventional high-ground-pressure equipment when soils are dry to a depth of 4 inches. Equipment is restricted to the designated skid trails. Endlining will be used to move material to the designated skid trails until soils are dry to a depth of 10 inches. Equipment may, by agreement, leave designated skid trails when soils are dry to a depth of 10 inches.

2) BMP indicators that operations should be curtailed and/or corrective actions implemented:

[10] More than 20% of skid trail or cableway surface lengths have rills present that are over 2 inches deep and more than 10 feet in length.

[11] More than 10% of skid trail surface length has ruts greater than 2 inches deep.

[12] Rills and/or sediment deposition extends more than 20 feet below waterbar outlet.

[13] More than 10% of waterbars fail to divert flow off skid trails or cableways.

[14] Erosion within or sediment movement into SMZ.

[15] Presence of gullies (erosional features greater than 4" deep and 6" wide).

* Skid trails, cableways and harvest areas damaged by Purchaser's Operations and associated damage will be repaired at the Purchaser's expense. A remedy plan will be prepared and implemented. Repair work shall be accomplished immediately when conditions are such that additional damage to the resources will not occur or when designated by the Forest Service. See the Wet Weather Operation Field Guide for a list of potential remedies.

D. Landings:

Landings will be agreed to by Purchaser and designated sale administrative personnel prior to their construction and/or use. Landings will not be located within SMZs or Riparian Reserves unless a resource specialist (hydrologist, geologist, fisheries biologist) is consulted.

* Landings will be constructed to ensure proper drainage, compaction and stability. Landings will be monitored to ensure that drainage is effective. For example, landings will not create a depression which cannot be properly drained; upslope runoff will be diverted, to an appropriate location, around the activity.

* If rocking is required for wet weather operations, landings should be rocked before the surface becomes saturated.

* Landings should be identified well in advance of logging activities. This would allow construction be complete within the NOS. But if unavoidable and as a preventative measure, all landing fill slopes constructed outside of the Normal Operating Period should be mulched. Mulch material can consist of wood chips, certified weed-free straw, or any other Forest Service approved material which will provide slope protection against erosion and rilling. In addition, downslope perimeter erosion control will be required if a potential threat to water quality exists as determined by an earth scientist.

* The use of a heel boom loader may be required to minimize landing size and reduce excavation of the site.

2) BMP indicators that operations should be curtailed and/or corrective actions

[16] Rills (greater than 1/2" deep and 10' in length) and/or sediment deposition has extended more than 20 feet below the toe of the landing fill slope.

[17] More than 1 cubic yard of material (from erosion or slope failure) has moved into SMZ.

* Landings damaged by Purchaser's Operations and associated damage will be repaired at the

Purchaser's expense. Repair work shall be accomplished immediately when conditions are such that additional damage to the resources will not occur or when designated by the Forest Service.

E. Fueling Sites:

1) Action that augment BMP compliance:

* Purchaser shall take additional appropriate measures documented in a wet weather fuel storage plan to prevent any oil or oil product spill from entering any stream or drainageway.

2) BMP indicators that operations should be curtailed and/or corrective measures

[18] Evidence of more than 10 gallons of fuel or oil products outside bermed containment area.

* Fueling sites damaged by Purchaser's Operations and associated damage will be repaired at the

Purchaser's expense. Repair work shall be accomplished immediately when conditions are such that additional damage to the resources will not occur or when designated by the Forest Service.

Forest Service retains the authority to suspend any or all of Purchaser's operations as needed to protect resources.

FIELD GUIDE

For Use with

WET WEATHER OPERATION STANDARDS

The following guide was written to supplement the Klamath National Forest's "Wet Weather Operation

Standards" (WWOS). It was designed to provide specific working definitions, practical explanations, and discussions of terms and concepts appearing in WWOS. This guide uses definitions from many sources, but draws primarily from Forest Service Region 5 Best Management Practices (BMP), BMP

Evaluation Program handbook, Timber Sale Contract (TSC) language (B & C Provisions), and the

Klamath National Forest's Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP).

WET WEATHER

Various phrases such as "wet season", "periods of precipitation", "prior to expected precipitation events", "during precipitation events", "preceding expected seasonal periods of precipitation or runoff", "soil or surface saturation" , and "Normal Operating Season" (NOS) are used in the WWOS and standard TSCs. These phrases refer to two distinct types of activities: (1) erosion control, including prehaul road/landing work (typically grading, drainage maintenance or installation, or rock surfacing) and installation of non-road erosion control measures (such as drainage structures, mulching, etc.), and

(2) logging activities, including skidding (&/or yarding) and hauling.

NOS beginning and ending dates for each timber sale are specified in the TSC . "Wet season" and

"seasonal periods of precipitation or runoff" therefore refer to that period of the year outside the NOS.

"Periods of precipitation" and "..precipitation events" can occur at any time of the year and are defined as follows: precipitation amounts in intensity and/or duration that cause runoff. In other words, precipitation amounts that exceed the moisture-bearing capacity of the soil or conditions of over-saturation producing runoff of excess moisture. This definition assumes antecedent saturation conditions, either from previous "events" or the early parts of the current "event."

"Prior to expected..." or "preceding expected..." can not be clearly defined. For this initial field guide version, it is when the National Weather Service (or other accepted source) predicts a 50% or higher chance of measurable precipitation for the local area. Discretion should be exercised by the Purchaser

&/or Sale Administrator in order to keep this provision reasonable. For example, the weather report should predict more than one day of unsettled weather (summer thunderstorms) and erosion control measures should be prioritized so that key structures are constructed/installed first.

Erosion control work should be current "prior to" or "preceding" an expected precipitation event. All erosion control work shall be current by September 15. After September 15th, erosion control work should be done as promptly as practical. Drainage structures are difficult to construct when landings, temporary roads, skid trails, cable corridors, etc. are wet or have snow on them. If placement of a rock surface is required for wet weather hauling, it must be done before the surface becomes saturated.

Within the NOS, key erosion control work should be done if significant wet weather is anticipated (see paragraph above).

Logging activities can occur outside of the NOS if: (1) conditions are favorable, and (2) erosion control work is current. These conditions (with restrictions and requirements) are delineated in various paragraphs and sections of the WWOS.

DRY SOIL - DRY ROAD

After a "precipitation event" or at the beginning of the season (NOS), it is necessary to determine when conditions are dry enough for logging activities to resume or commence. Local variations in a number of parameters, including soil type, hydro-geomorphology, and road composition, dictate that certain areas or road segments may dry out sooner than others. Therefore, discretion is required and blanket determinations can rarely be made. The term "soil" is used sensu lato and includes any surface material.

Dry Soils: Skidding during very wet soil conditions will cause rutting; under moderately wet condition, soil compaction will result. Puddling in ruts indicates that soil compaction and damage has probably already occurred.

To determine dry soil, a field soil moisture test will be conducted as follows:

(1) On skid trails, at a depth of 4", take 2 or 3 samples along the length of each skid trail to be used. Sample points should be chosen to represent typical moisture conditions for each skid trail. Off skid trails, at a depth of 10", take 2 or 3 samples representative of moisture conditions within the unit.

(2) Form a ball by squeezing the soil sample firmly in the hand. The soil is considered dry enough to begin skidding operations if the sample cannot be molded into a ball or falls apart when rolled in the palm of the hand. If the ball holds it's shape while rolled, the soil is too wet for skidding activities.

Dry Roads: Roads must be determined to be suited for wet weather hauling and general use after

"precipitation events" and at the beginning of the NOS. Factors to consider include : surface & sub-surface material, soil type (native-surfaced), drainage condition, maintenance condition, stream crossings (& sensitivity thereof), and volume to be hauled. Subjective judgment must be used and applied to local road segments. Possible remedies to specific problems are shown in Table 1, below.

In general, if the roadway dries and can support vehicles without causing rutting, soil displacement, damage to drainage structures, and with no off-site sediment movement, it can be used. If not, it should remain unused.

ROADS

Three terms are used to describe road degradation: 'ruts', 'rills', and 'gullies'. They are defined as follows:

ruts - sunken tracks or grooves left by the passage of vehicles and expressed as vertically and/or laterally displaced road material, rills - depressions in the surface caused by the washing away of material by running water, gullies - large rills, larger than 6" wide and 4" deep.

Road degradation is a function of many factors. Dominant factors are:

[1] Traffic - both excess weight &/or high frequency (high use)

[2] Road composition & maintenance - weak sub-base, base, or surface, &/or poor drainage

[3] Moisture - antecedent (saturation) & event (significant precipitation)

Most rutting is a natural occurrence, the result of normal road use. "Wear grooves" develop in all roads, regardless of usage or moisture conditions. The factors listed above influence the speed and degree of development. However, some rutting can be viewed as a structural failure of the road surface. In other words, load of individual vehicles (e.g. logging trucks) or cumulative loads of many vehicles (heavy traffic) may exceed mechanical strength of road materials, usually when weakened by excess moisture.

This type of rutting commonly occurs with native-surfaced roads or at "problem" spots along rock-surfaced roads. `Rutting' should NOT be confused with `rilling' or `gullying', which are erosional processes.

Road surface rutting raises a "yellow flag" warning. The road surface has degraded, but by definition, impacts to water quality have NOT yet occurred. Rutting indicates that the road is in need of maintenance and/or repair. "Wear grooves" suggest routine maintenance, such as grading, is required.

"Structural failure" ruts indicate repairs and/or reconstruction is needed to road surface (e.g., rocking) or drainage system (e.g., culvert installation at wet spot). If ruts are not fixed, then future rilling is likely.

Rutting calls for immediate mitigation, road closure is but one option (Table 1, below). For example, ruts could be fixed by grading and/or rocking so that they do not channelize water, which leads to erosion (rilling & gullying).

Rills and gullies are defined as the removal of road material by erosional processes. Rills and gullies are

"red flags", suggesting adverse impacts to water quality are likely to occur.

The follow table indicates possible remedies to specific problems:

Table 1. `Rutting' means:

Factor: Loads too heavy, too frequent &/or

Road too weak

&/or

Too wet

Solutions: Reduce loads/freq. by: Strengthen (fix) road by: Water proof by:

reducing # of daily loads if drying trend, grade if drying trend, grade no logging trucks, light vehicles only rock, fix drainage, or other

"fix-it" measures surface &/or drainage fix reduce tire pressures road closure road freezes road freezes

STREAMSIDE MANAGEMENT ZONES (SMZ)

BMP documents, TSCs, and the Klamath LRMP use different terms for essentially the same concept:

That is, the designation and protection of streams and their buffer zones. BMPs and the BMP

Evaluation Program use the term "Streamside Management Zones." TSCs use "Streamcourse

Protection" (e.g., B6.5). The Klamath LRMP (& the Northwest Forest Plan ROD) use the term

"Riparian Reserves." "SMZ" is used in the WWOS since the WWOS are based primarily on BMPs, implemented in order to protect water quality. On the Klamath National Forest, SMZs are approximately equivalent to hydrologically-defined Riparian Reserves.

"Streamcourses", designated for special protection under B6.5 (&C6.5), are shown as line features on the Sale Area Maps for individual timber sales. Each of the three sources above use different buffer widths for protection zones. Timber sales offered after signing of the Klamath LRMP & the Northwest

Forest Plan ROD (1994) defer to Riparian Reserve "interim ROD buffer widths", unless these widths have been modified by a subsequent Watershed Analysis and NEPA process.

BMP "YARDSTICKS" and CHECKLIST

For Use with

WET WEATHER OPERATIONS STANDARDS

The following BMP (Best Management Practices) quantitative guidelines are excerpted from the

WWOS (Wet Weather Operations Standards). They provide measurable "yardsticks" to assess whether

(or not) sites meet BMPs. This document was designed to provide Sale Administrators and Resource people with an easy to use checklist to utilize in the field.

In general, we are looking for evidence of erosion, or indications that erosion MIGHT take place. We should be "proactive" in this regard and NOT wait until the standards listed below are exceeded, but try to anticipate problems or conditions that could lead to erosion.

Numbers in square brackets ( [1] ) refer to lines in the WWOS document. Alpha-numeric codes in parentheses [(E09)] refer to BMP Evaluation Program forms.

BMP indicators that operations should be curtailed and/or corrective action implemented:

ROADS

Culverts (or cross drains):

[1] Sediment and/or debris is blocking 30% of inlet or outlet. (E09)

[2] More than 10% of the flow to pass beneath or around culvert, or noticeable piping erosion evident, unless crossing is designed to do so (e.g., coarse material/rock fill). (E09)

[3] Scour and/or sediment deposition evident, and extending more than 20 feet below outlet of cross drain or other drainage structure (e.g., culvert, rolling dip, waterbar). (E08)

Erosion of road material:

[4] Scour &/or sediment movement into SMZ or drainageway from road surface, cut slope, or fill slope. (E08, E20)

[5] Material sidecast within 25 feet of a channel, ditch or drainageway, or onto slopes vegetated for erosion control. (E11)

Ponding:

[6] Ponding present on road surface that is causing fill subsidence or otherwise threatening integrity of fill. (E09)

Ruts/rills:

[7] More than 10% of road segment length has rills or ruts more than 2 inches deep and 20 feet in length which continue off road surface, with potential to deliver sediment to stream channel.

(E08, E20)

[8] Ruts formed that can channel water past erosion control structures.

[9] Numerous rills present at stream crossing (>1 rill per lineal 5 ft), apparently active or enlarging, evidence of some sediment delivery to stream. (E09)

SKID TRAILS, CABLEWAYS, & HARVEST AREAS

[10] More than 20% of skid trail or cableway surface lengths have rills present that are over 2 inches deep and more than 10 feet in length. (T02)

[11] More than 10% of skid trail surface length has ruts greater than 2 inches deep. (T02)

[12] Rills and/or sediment deposition extends more than 20 feet below waterbar outlet. (T02)

[13] More than 10% of waterbars fail to divert flow off skid trails or cableways. (T02)

[14] Erosion within or sediment movement into SMZ. (T02, T05)

[15] Presence of gullies (erosional features greater than 4" deep and 6" wide).

LANDINGS

[16] Rills (greater than 1/2" deep and 10' in length) and/or sediment deposition has extended more than

20 feet below the toe of the landing fill (fromT04).

[17] More than 1 cubic yard of material (from erosion or slope failure) has moved into SMZ. (T04)

FUELING SITES

[18] Evidence of more than 10 gallons of fuel or oil products outside bermed containment area. (E12)