ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF OPERATING HIGHWAYS ON AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

A protocol has been developed for assessing the impacts of highway operations and maintenance and determining the need for impact mitigation measures. The general strategy applies nationally, and specific elements of the method have been developed for the state of Washington and other Pacific Northwest locations on the basis of comprehensive research that was conducted in that region on highway runoff water quality. The basic premise of the protocol is that the highway impact on the receiving water can be assessed most realistically in the context of the aggregate burden that is created by all activities in the watershed. By using an initial screening process a determination can be made as to whether or not a case is likely to have an insignificant impact. Substantial resources are expended on assessing only those cases that may have a significant impact on aquatic ecosystems. Those cases are subjected to analyses of both cumulative pollutant loadings and changes in pollutant concentrations in the receiving waters, which emphasize the most critical conditions under the circumstances. Mitigation is considered in both steps. The Washington results were employed to develop a deterministic model for the pollutant loading analysis and a probabilistic procedure for the pollutant concentration assessment. The protocol offers opportunities to forecast potential aquatic impacts of a highway at an early stage of project development and to allocate impact mitigation measures on the basis of need. This advance improves the cost-effectiveness of stormwater runoff management and aids in avoiding the expense and delay of legal challenges to highway agency actions that have potential water quality impacts.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1985/1017/1017-007.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=ASSESSING+THE+IMPACTS+OF+OPERATING+HIGHWAYS+ON+AQUATIC+ECOSYSTEMS&author=R.+Horner&author=B.+Mar&publication_year=1985
• Availability:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Hydrology, Hydraulics, and Water Quality. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Horner, Richard R
  • Mar, Brian W
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 47-55
• Monograph Title: Surface drainage and highway runoff pollutants
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1017
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aquatic life; Drainage; Ecology; Environmental impacts; Estimating; Mathematical models; Particulates; Runoff; Surface drainage; Traffic mitigation; Water quality
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mitigation; Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Highway drainage
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Maintenance and Preservation; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457821
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309039061
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 31 1986 12:00AM