Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2007KY87B

Effectiveness of Improved Skid Trail Ephemeral Channel Crossings

Institute: Kentucky
Year Established: 2007 Start Date: 2007-03-01 End Date: 2008-02-29
Total Federal Funds: $4,991 Total Non-Federal Funds: $20,014

Principal Investigators: Jeffrey Stringer

Project Summary: Timber harvesting is known to produce sediments from the skidding and hauling of timber. One of the primary concerns is the crossing of streams and channels. While research has shown the effectiveness of improved skid trail crossings of perennial streams, little is known regarding the crossing of ephemeral channels. Ephemeral channel crossings vastly outnumber perennial stream crossings in Kentucky. No research has been done to quantify sediment production levels of ephemeral channel crossings or to test the effectiveness of improved crossings. This research will evaluate the impact of ephemeral channel crossings on water quality.