West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 58 - Natural Resources › Title 58 - LEGISLATIVE EXEMPT RULE BUREAU OF COMMERCE DIVISION OF NATURAL RESOURCES › Series 58-35 - Rules And Conditions Upon Which Oil And Gas Operators May Access State Forests › Appendix A

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
Road Construction Guidelines.
1. The maximum grade limitation, Manual, Section II.A.1.a(1),
				  does not apply to state forests. The final center line grade of the road must
				  be 10% or less, with three exceptions set out below.
A. Final center line gradients not exceeding 15% are
				  permissible for distances up to 200 feet.
B. The 10% gradient may be exceeded for the purpose of
				  installing broad based dips as provided elsewhere in this rule.
C. The Director may waive these requirements if necessary to
				  allow the use of a pre-existing road or in the case of exceptional
				  environmental concerns.
2. The stacking and piling of timber shall be done pursuant
				  to directions by the Director.
3. The clearing of woody material back from the roadway far
				  enough to allow entrance of sunlight and wind with the goal of assisting in
				  accelerating drying of the road surface which is given consideration in Manual,
				  Section II.A.1.b(2) (commonly called daylighting) is prohibited unless waived
				  by the Director in consultation with the Department of Environmental
				  Protection.
4. Regarding the requirements for road surface stabilization
				  in Manual, Section II.A.1.b(3), it is recognized that the second paragraph of
				  the introductory language to Section II of the Manual states that some of the
				  standards for structures may not be used during the actual drilling operations,
				  when a large amount of heavy equipment traffic is occurring, but rather will be
				  utilized during the reclamation phase.
A. The exception set out immediately above applies only to
				  water bars and cross drains, and to temporary vegetation of roads and
				  sites.
B. Additional structures or practices may be required by the
				  Director during actual drilling operations as set out in these
				  guidelines.
C. Road stabilization with gravel and/or fiber mats is
				  required on slopes greater than 10% on existing roads. This requirement is not
				  necessary if the average center line slope of a section is less than 10%, but
				  slopes up to 14% may be used to allow for properly constructed broad-based
				  dips.
D. Road stabilization with gravel and/or fiber mats is
				  required where the road will remain wet at times other than after
				  rainfall.
E. Where roads will be or become muddy or rutted during
				  actual drilling operations, particularly during wet seasons, the Director may
				  require one or more of the following during actual drilling operations that are
				  consistent with the planned use of the road and provide the least permanent
				  disruption to the forest:
i. Graveling with limestone or graveling with sandstone on
				  roads that will generally be open to public access;
ii. Graveling with sandstone on roads that will generally be
				  gated to the public; and iii. Siltfencing and straw bales and other sediment
				  and runoff controls along affected roadways and sites.
5. Care must be taken to increase drainage ditch capacities
				  in Manual, Section II.A.2.a(2) for water running off adjacent slopes and water
				  seeping out of side slopes created when the road or site was or is
				  excavated.
6. The clearing of trees and brush specified in Manual,
				  Section II.A.2.b(2) shall be minimized.
7. Cross drains and water bars described in Manual, Section
				  II.A.3 shall not be used where a broad based dip described in Manual, Section
				  II.A.4 can be installed.
8. Instead of the spacing of culverts as set out in Table
				  II-7, the following shall apply:
Road Grade Percentage
						  (%)
Culvert Spacing (feet)
2-10
200
12
150
14
100
9. The spacing of cross drains/water bars, broad-based dips,
				  and culverts set forth in the Manual, Tables II.4, II.5, and II.7 are starting
				  points. Where water is coming from surface run-off, subsurface water brought to
				  the surface by excavation, or where soil conditions or surrounding vegetative
				  conditions will increase water or soil run-off, then closer spacing must be
				  used.
10. In addition to the requirements of Manual, Section
				  II.A.6.b(7), adequate sediment control, and in the case of culvert outlets,
				  riprap or other materials, shall be provided at all erosion and sediment
				  control outfalls and culvert outlets.