Best Management Practices for Grading and Shouldering between May 1 and September 30

Follow these standard best management practices that apply to all roadwork projects.

If grading and shouldering is necessary between May and September where turtles are nesting, either:

• Install temporary fencing before turtle nesting season to prevent turtles from nesting in the work site, or,
• Work with qualified persons to plan an alternative solution to temporary fencing, for example collecting turtle eggs, incubating them off-site, and re-introducing hatchlings after the work is completed.

• Grade roads in early spring before seed heads develop, or late in the season when plants are dormant. The specific timing window will depend on the invasive species of concern at the site.
• Ensure clean fill and quality aggregates are used and locally sourced when possible.

Shape roads to maintain a crowned surface to allow for sufficient drainage to prevent water pooling and erosion.

The optimal time window for grading is when there is enough moisture content in the road surface to allow for immediate compaction. This is typically shortly after a rain when surface materials are moist, but not wet.

• Monitor weather events and time activities accordingly. Only work in dry weather conditions. Stop work during periods of heavy rainfall.
• If grading and shouldering activities must occur in the rain, ensure appropriate erosion control measures are in place and no sediment or deleterious substances are released into watercourses.

• Ensure the entire area disturbed by grading is compacted by the end of the day.
• nly grade sections that need it. Raise the grader blade in sections where grading is not necessary.
• When grading, ensure that no materials are deposited into roadside watercourses, on bridge decking, or over the ends of culverts.

Avoid applying surface treatments like dust palliatives.

• If dust suppression is required, ensure it is applied in a uniform manner to avoid run off, ponding, drifting, or tracking beyond the area of application.
• Ensure all water required for dust suppression or compaction is free of contaminants.
• Excess material that poses a risk of contamination should be disposed of off-site. Clean surplus material should be disposed of at designated sites away from sensitive habitats and a minimum of 30m from waterbodies.

If shouldering is not necessary, allow vegetation to establish.