BMP Guidelines for Roads
In Atlantic Salmon Watersheds
NOAA Fisheries; Project SHARE
Eastport, ME
Kleinschmidt was selected to develop a user-friendly manual of Best Management Practices (BMP) for construction and
maintenance of roads and stream crossings that are protective of salmon habitat and water quality.
The draft Atlantic Salmon Recovery Plan recognized that the number and variety of roads crossing streams in critical watersheds have the potential to impair or block access to crucial habitat if road projects did not follow fish- friendly planning and construction guidelines. NOAA and Project SHARE were concerned that the available BMPs had inconsistent standards and had never been specifically assessed with the unique needs of salmon conservation in mind. NOAA and Project SHARE developed an inter-agency Restoration Working Group that asked Kleinschmidt to develop state-of-the-art comprehensive guidelines that were user-friendly for project proponents, local road commissioners and permitting agencies.
Kleinschmidt, teamed with BSA Environmental Consulting, assembled an interdisciplinary team of engineers, biologists, and permitting specialists. Each team member had expertise pertaining to salmon biology, local environmental requirements, watershed geomorphology, botany, and stream restoration/stabilization techniques.
The team worked with the Restoration Working Group to develop a document format that was usable for the diverse audiences and review the applicability of conflicting or new BMP standards. Kleinschmidt documented and evaluated available BMP specifications from within and outside the region, and developed recommended practices based on consideration of the unique biological and geographic characteristics of the watersheds in eastern Maine subject to salmon protection.
The manual includes an innovative decision flow chart that enables laymen to select the most appropriate BMPs for a given situation and a field checklist that assists developers and agencies alike in assessing the site conditions to aid in selecting specific BMPs. Kleinschmidt also designed two demonstration projects located within the Narraguagus River watershed that serve as an on-site learning tool for agencies, road commissioners, and land owners, and is currently developing an interactive web site that allows on-the-ground users to promptly access BMP recommendations that pertain to specific project requirements.
For more information contact Brandon Kulik
BMP Guide 
- Cover Page (3,595 KB)
- Executive Summary (40 KB)
- Volume 1 (215 KB)
- Volume 2 (1,180 KB)
- Volume 3 (4,256 KB)
- Volume 4 (1,089 KB)
- Appendix A (62 KB)