Okla. Admin. Code § 155:12-5-6

Current through Vol. 42, No. 7, December 16, 2024

Section 155:12-5-6 - Environmentally sensitive maintenance

(a) An Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance (ESM) certified person must be in charge of work plan development and project implementation for the applying entity. ESM training for the program is a one-day course that covers the road maintenance practices employed by the program.

(b) ESM training is made available at no cost to potential grant applicants such as county Commissioners, county roads personnel, and other interested parties. It is highly recommended that all persons representing the county who have a significant role in the program attend ESM training, including county administrative staff. ESM training must be taken once every three (3) years to maintain certification and an approved Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) course on years when no ESM course is taken.

(c) Some examples of ESM principles are as follows:

(1)Road/Stream Interactions. ESM practices for stream crossings focus on reducing the sediment delivery to a river or lake, riverbank stability issues, and the river crossing itself. Practices such as high water bypasses, French mattresses, proper stream crossing sizing, better bridge and pipe design, and in-stream flow control structures can be effectively used to stabilize the unpaved road or stream interface.

(2)Unpaved Road Surface. ESM practices for the unpaved road surface include drainage control and improved aggregate. Drainage control starts with proper crown and cross-slope but also includes practices such as grade breaks, berm removal, and broad-based dips. Improved surface aggregate focuses on the driving surface aggregate and includes maintenance concerns such as grading and pothole repair.

(3)Unpaved Road Base. Practices that improve the base of a road include mechanical base improvements, underdrains, French mattresses, road elevation increase, and in some cases full-depth reclamation.

(4)Vegetation Management. Practices that manage vegetation in a sustainable manner will reduce erosion from the unpaved road area and save on future maintenance costs associated with tree trimming and cleanup. Practices include selective thinning, proper pruning, seeding and mulching, and managing vegetation for long-term stability.

(5)Unpaved Road Bank Management. Practices that stabilize the upslope or downslope road bank include slope reinforcement, filling the road profile, naturalizing bank shape, and natural or mechanical slope reinforcement.

(6)Unpaved Road Ditch and Outlet Stabilization. ESM practices for ditches include anything that reduces the flow in the ditch. The simplest of these practices is to provide more drainage outlets in the form of new turnouts and cross pipes. Selecting locations to outlet water and choosing the proper outlet stabilization methods is also important. Other practices such as rock check dams, berm removal, and filling the road profile in an attempt to eliminate ditches completely and promote sheet flow. Practices to reduce the effect of subsurface flow such as underdrains are also important.

(7)Bridges. Applying ESM practices to the construction and maintenance of bridges located on unpaved roads.

Okla. Admin. Code § 155:12-5-6

Adopted by Oklahoma Register, Volume 41, Issue 22, August 1, 2024, eff. 9/2/2024