Haul roads are used to move logs from the log deck to the public road. When the roads are built, bare mineral soil is exposed. When soil is exposed, soil or sediment can be moved by the force of water. When sediment moves, it moves toward a stream. The purpose of implementing Best Management Practices is to minimize soil movement, particularly movement into a stream.
Good planning is the best tool in the implementation of BMPs.
A logger or forester should look at the big picture of the entire timber harvest area before road construction begins. It will determine the best location and design for roads, the slope of roads, and the approach to stream crossings. A good plan will avoid duplication efforts, overly steep road designs, and improper combinations of road, slope, and water. Although improving water quality and providing dry, well-designed roads, a good plan will be more work and expense up front, but overall can make the job easier, more efficient, and more accessible to the logger in the long run. Activities in streamside areas have the greatest potential for stream sedimentation.