Synthesis and study of the roadside vegetation establishment process.
-
2011-05-01
Details:
-
Creators:
-
Corporate Creators:
-
Corporate Contributors:
-
Subject/TRT Terms:
-
Publication/ Report Number:
-
Resource Type:
-
Geographical Coverage:
-
Corporate Publisher:
-
Abstract:The Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES), which is administered and enforced by the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), requires perennial vegetation to 70 percent of native
or adjacent background vegetation before a Notice of Termination (NOT) can be filed. The Texas
Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) roadway projects often terminate at times of the year when
establishing permanent vegetation is very difficult or nearly impossible. Even when the construction calendar
and the ideal growing season line up, establishing vegetation is still a constant challenge. Regions of the
state that have limited rainfall and a shorter growing season often take multiple years to establish vegetation
to meet the TPDES requirements.
The objective of this study was to provide a more diverse set of tools and options for TxDOT personnel that
will help ensure timely vegetation establishment to meet the TPDES regulatory requirements, minimize
project delays, and help reduce long-term costs in vegetation development and management. To achieve
these objectives, the researchers: (1) compared TxDOT’s practices compare to those of other state
departments of transportation (DOTs) and related fields, (2) identified methods for more rapid vegetation
establishment for meeting the TPDES requirements using field demonstration plots seeded according to
current TxDOT practices, (3) devised a tool to assist design personnel not familiar with the vegetation
establishment process, and (4) developed a vegetation establishment field guidebook.
-
Format:
-
Funding:
-
Collection(s):
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
File Type:
Supporting Files
-
No Additional Files
More +