​Tim Robson, Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Road Specialist
Maybe that has been your complaint or your gripe this summer or in summers past, it seems like they are always on your road.  But, chances are that your local maintenance crew is just trying to get the many things done that they need to do before the next weather season comes along.  We often underestimate or fail to understand just how much these crews are asked to do in a year’s time with a small crew, limited equipment and in some cases, limited training. For instance, an un-named township in our county has nearly 80 miles of road system to maintain, 20 of which is hard surfaced road (Tar and chip or asphalt). So, you can see how this presents a significant challenge for any size road crew. 

By: Joe Quatrini; Technical Team Leader; BCCD
Have you ever seen something that was different than what you’re used to and thought “Hmm, that’s different it must be BAD!” Maybe you’re not even sure what you’re looking at but you decide you should hate it, just because it’s a change or you don’t understand it. Unfortunately, it’s almost what our brains are trained to do these days, especially in today’s society. We see something and judge it before we even try to figure out what it is. We often see this when it comes to projects we’re part of.

Take for example one initiative we are working on to help our municipalities and private landowners reduce flooding and prevent costly damage when storms hit. This initiative has to do with making stream crossings bigger. “What’s a stream crossing?” you ask. Great question and thanks for asking! A stream crossing is where a road (or a driveway) and a stream (creek, brook, run, river, etc.) intersect or cross one another. If you drive on a road and look out the window and see a stream coming right at the road and you don’t get wet, that probably means that stream is flowing through some type of pipe or bridge under the road. Obvious, right? 

By: Tim Robson; DGLVR Specialist.
In this week’s column we are bring you the second of what will be 4 articles this year, all of which will focus on the different seasons of Municipal maintenance. We will explain what you may see going on in your township and why. After all, in know many of us have wondered why are the doing what they are doing? This of course is a general overview and may very depending on municipality. Everyone does things a little different. I will simply explain the process from my view as a former Road Forman and current Dirt and Gravel Road Specialist here at the Bradford County Conservation District. For this first article we will focus on the upcoming spring maintenance season.  

By: Tim Robson, Dirt and Gravel Road Specialist, BCCD
This week’s article on maintenance will be the 1st of a four-part quarterly series on the seasonal maintenance that you see going on outside the windows of your homes and offices.
When is the “Winter Season”: As a rule, crews are prepared for Winter Weather and/or on call from October 15th through April 15th, although that is no guarantee they won’t see it outside of those dates. Most of us can remember unusually early and late snow falls. Halloween and Easter can occasionally be snow covered. 

By: Kristin Pepper, Dirt & Gravel Road Specialist, BCCD
Bradford County Conservation District (BCCD) participates in the state-wide Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Program (DGLVR) which provides funding for environmental improvements and reduced long-term maintenance of our network of dirt and gravel roads. Since its formation in 1997, the program has helped Bradford County municipalities improve approximately 73 miles of dirt and gravel roads. Each year BCCD recognizes a handful of those municipalities that stand out above the rest in various categories.
This year’s Outstanding Project of the Year, also known as Golden Shovel Award, goes to (drum roll, please…) Warren Township for an exceptional overall project on Reagan Hill Road! The road crew, office staff, and supervisors all have a can-do attitude, are easy to work with, work quickly and consistently, and take great pride in their work! The project was 2,800 feet in length and consisted of adding six cross pipes to reduce the volume of water in ditches which in turn reduces erosion and sediment reaching the stream; replacing one cross pipe, adding an access pipe; added approximately 3,400 tons of road fill to promote sheet flow and gain road width; installed 700’ of drain tile to maintain a dry road surface and prevent pot-holing; installed head walls and end walls on each pipe along with rock inlet and outlet protection to reduce erosion; crowned the road surface to keep water from concentrating on the road; created stable vegetated ditches to reduce scour and filter sediments and nutrients; installed 2,200 feet of Flexamat; replaced two undersized stream crossings; and worked with landowners to accomplish this project. By installing all the above-mentioned practices, road maintenance is greatly reduced, the road is more easily traveled by vehicles, and it’s better for the environment. Thanks to Warren Township for all their hard work and dedication to their roads and all they do to improve the DGLVR Program, the environment, and the community.

​By: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth boundaries encompass at least 85,568 miles of streams and 242 major publicly accessible lakes comprising 125,119 surface water acres. Section 303 of the Federal Clean Water Act requires that states, territories, and authorized tribes, collectively referred to in the act as "states," prepare water quality standards and assess all streams and lakes. Since1972 enactment, each water body is to have calculated an upper pollution limit that maintains water quality meeting state standards for each pollutant present. Standards vary among the states depending on each state’s protected uses. In Pennsylvania, these protected uses are listed as fish consumption, recreation, public water use, and biological life.

​By: Tori Bristol, Dirt Gravel & Low Volume Roads Specialist
Stream crossing culverts and streams have been one of the major hot topics over the past decade. Here in Bradford County there are more than 1,000 road-stream intersections, or stream crossings, with many of those crossings being severely undersized. We depend on these crossings to safely pass roadways over streams or even rivers. We also depend on healthy waterways for clean water, recreation and other benefits. We are currently learning more and more about the relationships between stream crossing designs and the effect they have on the natural system. 

By: Tim Robson, Dirt and Gravel Road Specialist
This week’s column will be the first of four articles presented throughout the year focusing on municipal road maintenance.  I’ll try to explain what you might see going on in your township or borough each season and why.  I know many have wondered: why are they doing what they’re doing to my dirt road? Although every crew does things slightly different, general tasks are consistent around the county. I will simply explain the process from my view as a former Road Foreman and current Dirt and Gravel Road Specialist here at the Bradford County Conservation District.
For this first article, we will focus on the upcoming spring maintenance season.

By: Kristin Pepper, Dirt & Gravel Road Specialist, BCCD
 
BCCD participates in the state-wide Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Program (DGLVR) which provides funding for environmental improvements and reduced long-term maintenance of our network of dirt and gravel roads. Since its formation in 1997, the program has helped Bradford County municipalities improve approximately 70 miles of dirt and gravel roads. Each year BCCD recognizes a handful of those municipalities that stand out above the rest in various categories.