What we know - and don't know - about water quality at stream crossings

Forest road stream crossings, including fords, culverts, and bridges, are p rimary contributors of sediment to forest streams. Information on the water quality imparts from each type of crossing is limited, but the available l iterature indicates that significant amounts of sediment are produced durin g of fords and culverts; construction and use of temporary bridges have the least impact on water quality. This review of our current state of knowled ge on the water quality impacts from crossings shows that we need data for a wide variety of stream sizes, soil types, terrain, and climatological con ditions so that policymakers can develop scientifically sound best manageme nt practices.