New Hampshire is undertaking a variety of efforts to address the impacts of culverts on river systems and habitat and public safety. DES is proposing changes to rules for the permitting of structures for stream crossings, providing guidance for the design of such crossings, and offering training to those designing, constructing, and maintaining such crossings. The goals of this program are to provide for aquatic organism passage during high and low flow conditions and to maximize the passage of high flows, particularly floodwaters, so that losses to infrastructure and adjacent property and public safety are minimized.
New Hampshire Stream Crossing Guidelines
- Stream Crossings Rulemaking - Initial Proposal - Comment period closes on November 20, 2009 at 4 p.m.
- Public hearings on proposed stream crossing rules will be held as follows:
- Concord, NH: October 23, 2009 (Friday), 10 am to 12 noon, NH Fish and Game Dept, 11 Hazen Drive
- Keene, NH: October 29, 2009 (Thursday), 6 to 8 pm, Keene Public Library, 60 Winter St
- Rochester, NH: November 4, 2009 (Wednesday), 6 to 8 pm, Rochester Public Library, 65 S. Main St.
- Lancaster, NH: November 9, 2009 (Monday) 6 to 8 pm, UNH Cooperative Extension, 629B Main St
- Plymouth, NH: November 10, 2009 (Tuesday), 6 to 8 pm, Pease Public Library at Plymouth, NH
Fluvial Geomorphology
- Fluvial Geomorphology Training Module - State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- EPA Watershed Academy - Fundamentals of the Rosgen Stream Classification System
- U.S. Forest Service Stream Systems Technology Center
- Vermont Geomorphic Assessment
- Guidelines for Naturalized River Channel Design and Bank Stabilization (Publication R-WD-06-37)
Stream Simulation
- Design and Construction of Aquatic Organism Passage at Road-Stream Crossings: Construction Challenges and Case Studies of Stream Simulation Structures for Aquatic Organism Passage
- Stream Simulation: An Ecological Approach to Providing Passage for Aquatic Organisms at Road-Stream Crossings
- Water-Road Interaction Technology Series Documents
Aquatic Organism Passage
- The Vermont Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage Screening Tool
- Maine DOT- Waterway and Wildlife Crossing Policy and Design Guide for Aquatic Organism, Wildlife Habitat, and Hydrologic Connectivity, 3rd edition, 2008
- US Forest Service – Fish Passage Library
- National Inventory and Assessment Procedure – For Identifying Barriers to Aquatic Organism Passage at Road-Stream Crossings
- Design For Fish Passage at Roadway - Stream Crossings: Synthesis Report
Stream Restoration (and Stream Crossings)
- UNH Stream and Wetland Restoration Institute
- Recommended Stream Crossing (Culvert) Assessment Protocol
Resources from Other States
- UMass Amherst: River and Stream Continuity Project
- Massachusetts Stream Crossing Guidelines and Handbook
- Washington State University – Fish Passages for Bridges and Culverts
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