Code of Maine Rules
01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY
669 - BUREAU OF FORESTRY (MAINE FOREST SERVICE)
Chapter 21 - STATEWIDE STANDARDS FOR TIMBER HARVESTING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES IN SHORELAND AREAS
Section 669-21-11 - CROSSINGS OF WATER BODIES

Universal Citation: 01 ME Code Rules § 669-21-11

Current through 2024-38, September 18, 2024

A. APPLICABILITY. The requirements of Section 11 apply to all crossings of stream channels, rivers, ponds, lakes, Great Ponds, nonforested freshwater wetlands, coastal wetlands, and freshwater wetlands identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as significant wildlife habitat or essential wildlife habitat.

B. ALL CROSSINGS

1. Crossings must allow for fish passage at all times of the year, must not impound water, and must allow for the maintenance of normal stream flows.

2. Determination of flow. Provided they are properly applied and used for the circumstances for which they are designed, methods including but not limited to the following are acceptable to the Bureau as means of calculating the 10 year and 25 year frequency water flows and thereby determining crossing sizes as required in this section: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Methods; specifically: Hodgkins, G. 1999. Estimating the Magnitude of Peak Flows for Streams in Maine for Selected Recurrence Intervals.U.S. Geological Survey. Water Resources Investigations Report 99-4008. 45 pp.

3. Upgrading existing crossings. Extension or enlargement of presently existing crossings must conform to the provisions of this section. Any nonconforming existing crossing may continue to exist and be maintained, as long as the nonconforming conditions are not made more nonconforming; however, any maintenance or repair work done below the normal high water line must conform to the provisions of this section.

4. Bureau Permits and Permit by Rule

a. Permits. An application for a permit must be submitted to the Bureau at least 60 days prior to the construction of any new permanent crossing or the replacement of a permanent crossing of any waterbody subject to a 250' shoreland area as defined by §(4)(W)(1) of this rule, non-forested freshwater wetlands larger than 4,300 square feet and any crossing that will not conform to permit by rule standards. An individual permit application is required for each crossing. The permit application must contain all information required by the Bureau, including a description of how negative impacts to the resource will be avoided and minimized to the extent practicable. When granting a permit the Bureau may impose such reasonable terms and conditions as the Bureau considers appropriate in order to satisfy the purpose set forth in its governing statutes and rules.

b. Permit by Rule. Crossings must conform to standards of this section to qualify for permit by rule. If a crossing does not conform to these standards an application for a full permit must be submitted per §(11)(B)(4)(a) above. A permit by rule must be submitted to the Bureau prior to construction, maintenance, alteration, and replacement of permanent crossings of waterbodies subject to a 75' shoreland area or adjacent shoreland area as defined by §(4)(W)(2) and (3) of this rule except all non-forested freshwater wetlands greater than 4,300 square feet which require a permit as described in §(11)(B)(4)(a). Multiple crossings within one township or municipality may be submitted on one permit by rule form. The permit by rule must contain all information required by the Bureau, including:

i. a map showing the location of all proposed permanent crossings. Maps must be of sufficient quality and scale for a person unfamiliar with the area to locate the crossing;

ii. for any temporary or permanent crossing that requires a permit from state or federal agencies, a copy of the approved permit or permits; and,

iii. a statement signed by the permit applicant that all temporary and permanent crossings will be constructed, maintained, and closed out in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

c. Exception A permit or permit by rule is not required for the repair and maintenance of an existing crossing or for the replacement of an existing crossing, including ancillary crossing installation activities such as excavation and filling, in any protected natural resource area, as long as:

i. Erosion control measures are taken to prevent sedimentation of the water;

ii. The crossing does not block passage for fish in the protected natural resource area;

iii. For replacement crossings of a river, stream or brook:

a. The replacement crossing is designed, installed and maintained to match the natural stream grade to avoid drops or perching; and

b. As site conditions allow, crossing structures that are not open bottomed are embedded in the stream bottom at least 25% of the culvert or other structure's diameter, except that a crossing structure does not have to be embedded more than 2 feet.

iv. The Bureau is notified prior to the activity in accordance with §(11)(B)(6) of this rule.

For purposes of this subsection, "repair and maintenance" includes but is not limited to the riprapping of sideslopes or culvert ends; removing debris and blockages within the crossing structure and at its inlet and outlet; and installing or replacing culvert ends if less than 50% of the crossing structure is being replaced.

5. Other Agency Permits

a. Any timber harvesting and related activities involving the design, construction, and maintenance of crossings on water bodies other than a stream channel or river, including crossings of Significant River Segments and freshwater wetlands identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as significant wildlife habitat or essential wildlife habitat, may require a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers. When a permit is required, the crossing is not required to meet the standards of this section provided it conforms with all applicable state and federal requirements and any permit conditions.

b. Any timber harvesting and related activities involving the design, construction, and maintenance of crossings of freshwater wetlands identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as essential wildlife habitat require prior consultation with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

6. Notice to Bureau. Notification to the Bureau is required prior to construction, maintenance, alteration, and replacement of crossings. Written notice of all temporary and permanent water body crossing construction, maintenance, alteration, and replacement activities in shoreland areas regulated by this rule must be given to the Bureau prior to the commencement of such activities. Multiple crossings within one township or municipality may be submitted on one notification form. Such notice must contain all information required by the Bureau, including:

a. a map showing the location of all proposed permanent crossings.Maps must be of sufficient quality and scale for a person unfamiliar with the area to locate the crossing;

b. for any temporary or permanent crossing that requires a permit from state or federal agencies, a copy of the approved permit or permits; and,

c. a statement signed by the responsible party that all temporary and permanent crossings will be constructed, maintained, and closed out in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

C. SKID TRAIL CROSSINGS

1. Design and Construction

a. All skid trail crossings of streams and rivers below the 25 square mile drainage point require a bridge or culvert sized according to the requirements of subsection 2 below.

b. Streams above the 25 square mile drainage point may be crossed using temporary structures that are not bridges or culverts but which meet the requirements of the following subsection c; or

i. when stream channels are frozen and snow-covered; or

ii. when stream channels are composed of a hard surface which will not be eroded or otherwise damaged.

c. All skid trail crossings of streams must be designed, constructed, and maintained, such that:

i. sedimentation of surface waters is reasonably avoided;

ii. there is no substantial disturbance of the bank or stream channel;

iii. fish passage is not impeded; and,

iv. water flow is not unreasonably impeded.

NOTE: For guidance on reasonable measures, consult the Bureau publication, "Best Management Practices for Forestry: Protecting Maine's Water Quality" (2004). This publication is available from the Bureau and on the Bureau's website, www.maineforestservice.gov.

2. Bridge and Culvert Sizing. The following requirements apply to skid trail crossings of stream channels when surface waters are unfrozen:

a. Bridges and culverts must be installed and maintained to provide an opening sufficient in size and structure to accommodate 25 year frequency water flows or with a cross-sectional area at least equal to 3times the cross-sectional area of the stream channel.

b. Temporary bridge and culvert sizes may be smaller than provided in subsection a above if techniques are effectively employed such that in the event of culvert or bridge failure, the natural course of water flow is maintained and sedimentation of the water body is avoided. Such crossing structures must be at least as wide as the channel and, if not culverts, placed above the normal high water line. Techniques may include, but are not limited to, the effective use of any, a combination of, or all of the following:

i. use of temporary skidder bridges;

ii. removing culverts prior to the onset of frozen ground conditions;

iii. using water bars in conjunction with culverts;

iv. using road dips in conjunction with culverts.

c. Culverts utilized in stream crossings must:

i. be installed at or below stream bed elevation;

ii. be seated on firm ground;

iii. have soil compacted at least halfway up the side of the culvert;

iv. be covered by soil to a minimum depth of 1 foot or according to the culvert manufacturer's specifications, whichever is greater; and

v. have a headwall at the inlet end which is adequately stabilized by rip-rap or other suitable means to reasonably avoid erosion of material around the culvert.

d. Stream crossings allowed under this section, but located in flood hazard areas (i.e. A zones) as identified on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) or Flood Hazard Boundary Maps (FHBM), must be designed and constructed under the stricter standards contained in that community's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). For example, a crossing may be required to pass a 100-year flood event.

3. Closeout. Upon completion of timber harvesting and related activities, or upon the expiration of a Forest Operations Notification, whichever is earlier, the following requirements apply:

a. Bridges and culverts installed for stream crossings by skid trails must either:

i. comply with the standards for stream channel crossings by land management roads as set forth in this rule, or

ii. be removed and areas of exposed soil stabilized.

b. Crossing structures that are not bridges or culverts must either:

i. be removed immediately following timber harvesting and related activities, or,

ii. if frozen into the stream bed or bank, as soon as practical after snowmelt.

c. Stream channels, banks and approaches to crossings of water bodies must be immediately stabilized on completion of harvest, or if the ground is frozen and/or snow-covered, as soon as practical after snowmelt. If, despite such precautions, sedimentation or the disruption of shoreline integrity occurs, such conditions must be corrected.

4. Freshwater wetlands. Skid trail crossings, other than those areas below the normal high water line of water bodies, must avoid freshwater wetlands and must maintain the existing hydrology of such wetlands, unless there are no reasonable alternatives, as determined by the Bureau in a written decision prior to construction.

5. Exception. Timber harvesting and related activities in shoreland areas of streams draining less than 300 acres and wetlands adjacent to such streams may be conducted in a manner not in conformity with the requirements of the foregoing subsections provided persons conducting such activities take reasonable measures to avoid the disruption of shoreline integrity, the occurrence of sedimentation of water, and the disturbance of stream banks, stream channels, shorelines, and soil lying within ponds and wetlands. If, despite such precautions, the disruption of shoreline integrity, sedimentation of water, or the disturbance of stream banks, stream channels, shorelines, and soil lying within ponds and wetlands occurs, such conditions must be corrected

D. LAND MANAGEMENT ROAD STREAM CROSSINGS

1. Design, construction, and maintenance. Land management road stream channel crossings, including approaches to stream channel crossings, ditches and other related structures, must be designed, constructed, and maintained such that:

a. concentrated water runoff does not enter the water body or tributary stream;

b. sedimentation of surface waters is reasonably avoided;

c. there is no substantial disturbance of the stream bank or stream channel not directly associated with culvert or bridge installation;

d. fish passage is not impeded; and,

e. water flow is not unreasonably impeded.

2. Bridge and culvert sizing. The following requirements apply to land management road crossings of stream channels when surface waters are unfrozen:

b. Culverts utilized in stream crossings must:

i. be installed at or below stream bed elevation;

ii. be seated on firm ground;

iii. have soil compacted at least halfway up the side of the culvert;

iv. be covered by soil to a minimum depth of 1 foot or according to the culvert manufacturer's specifications, whichever is greater; and

v. have a headwall at the inlet end which is adequately stabilized by rip-rap or other suitable means to reasonably avoid erosion of material around the culvert.

c. If a perennial water course to be crossed is to be used for navigation, the crossing must consist of a bridge span or pipe arch with at least 4 feet of clearance during normal high water for boat traffic.

d. If the stream being crossed is a perennial watercourse and has a slope of more than 2%, a bridge or pipe arch must be used to maintain the natural streambed.

e. Fill sideslopes in a stream or floodplain wetland must be maintained at a slope no shallower than 3 horizontal to 1 vertical and no steeper than 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical. Fill side slopes must be stabilized at the completion of the activity.

f. Temporary bridge and culvert sizes may be smaller than provided in subsection a above if techniques are effectively employed such that in the event of culvert or bridge failure, the natural course of water flow is maintained and sedimentation of the water body is avoided. Such crossing structures must be at least as wide as the channel and, if not culverts, placed above the normal high water line. Techniques may include, but are not limited to, the effective use of any, a combination of, or all of the following:

i. use of temporary skidder bridges;

ii. removing culverts prior to the onset of frozen ground conditions;

iii. using water bars in conjunction with culverts; and/or,

iv. using road dips in conjunction with culverts.

3. Stream crossings allowed under this section, but located in flood hazard areas (i.e. A zones) as identified on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) or Flood Hazard Boundary Maps (FHBM), must be designed and constructed under the stricter standards contained in that community's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). For example, a crossing may be required to pass a 100-year flood event.

4. Road closeout and discontinuance. Maintenance of the water control installations required above must continue until use of the road is discontinued and the road is put to bed by taking the following actions:

a. Effective installation of water bars or other adequate road drainage structures at appropriate intervals, constructed to reasonably avoid surface water flowing over or under the water bar, and extending sufficient distance beyond the traveled way so that water does not reenter the road surface.

b. Crossing structures must be appropriately sized or dismantled and removed in a manner that reasonably avoids sedimentation of the water body.

c. Any bridge or water crossing culvert in roads to be discontinued shall satisfy one of the following requirements:

i. it shall be designed to provide an opening sufficient in size and structure to accommodate 25 year frequency water flows;

ii. it shall be designed to provide an opening with a cross-sectional area at least 3 1/2 times the cross-sectional area of the stream channel; or

iii. it shall be dismantled and removed in a fashion to reasonably avoid sedimentation of the water body.

If, despite such precautions, sedimentation or the disruption of shoreline integrity occurs, such conditions must be corrected.

5. Freshwater wetlands. Land management road crossings, other than those areas below the normal high water line of water bodies, must avoid freshwater wetlands and must maintain the existing hydrology of such wetlands, unless there are no reasonable alternatives, as determined by the Bureau in a written decision.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Maine may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.

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Code of Maine Rules01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY669 - BUREAU OF FORESTRY (MAINE FOREST SERVICE)Chapter 21 - STATEWIDE STANDARDS FOR TIMBER HARVESTING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES IN SHORELAND AREASSection 669-21-11 - CROSSINGS OF WATER BODIES

Code of Maine Rules
01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY
669 - BUREAU OF FORESTRY (MAINE FOREST SERVICE)
Chapter 21 - STATEWIDE STANDARDS FOR TIMBER HARVESTING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES IN SHORELAND AREAS
Section 669-21-11 - CROSSINGS OF WATER BODIES