Assessment of Aquatic Organism Passage Through 3-Sided and 4-Sided Culverts on High Quality Streams

When culverts are placed into streams, it is important to ensure that the culvert does not inhibit aquatic organism passage (AOP). AOP refers to the capacity of a structure to maintain the natural continuity of the habitat, stream flow velocities, and depth so that aquatic organisms (e.g., fish, macroinvertebrates, salamanders, etc.) can move through the structure, both up and down stream, uninhibited. This research study is important for both Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) standards as well as Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) best practices. To ensure the most appropriate structures are utilized in high quality streams that support the viability of aquatic life, research is needed to determine the actual impact of these structures and their support of the passage of natural organisms in streams. The goal of this research is to determine the impact to AOP of 3- and 4-sided box culverts in high quality streams in Ohio and provide recommendations for the best applications based on stream characteristics. The objectives of this research include the following: (1) evaluate AOP for vertebrates and macroinvertebrates in 3- and 4-sided box culverts on high quality streams; (2) evaluate barriers to AOP by culvert type; (3) identify limitations of each culvert type, considering natural features, such as, but not limited to landscape and geology; (4) provide data set(s) demonstrating viability of AOP in culverts (or not) based on a variety of factors, such as, but not limited to slope, culvert type, velocity, etc.; and (5) recommendations for practices to improve the viability of AOP in culverts, such as, the use of products designed to support AOP, burying inverts in 4-sided structures, etc.

• Record URL:
  https://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/SPR/Research/reportsandplans/Lists/Final%20Reports%20All/Item/displayifs.aspx?List=47f3581d%2Df21c%2D403b%2D9358%2Dfea0b008772b&ID=800&Source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edot%2Estate%2Eoh%2Eus%2FDivisions%2FPlanning%2FSPR%2FResearch%2Freportsandplans%2FLists%2FFinal%2520Reports%2520All%2FAllItems%2Easpx%3FuseFiltersInViewXml%3D1%26FilterField1%3DList%255Fx0020%255FCategori%26FilterValue1%3DActive%26FilterType1%3DChoice%26FilterField2%3DResearch%255Fx0020%255FOrganization%26FilterValue2%3DThe%2520Ohio%2520State%2520University%26FilterType2%3DChoice&ContentTypeId=0x0100BD006C89430C884FB603A74E63BB6849&RootFolder=%2FDivisions%2FPlanning%2FSPR%2FResearch%2Freportsandplans%2FLists%2FFinal%20Reports%20All

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $468019
• Contract Numbers:

  41216

  136816

  120524

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  Research Program
  1980 West Broad Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43223
• Project Managers:

  Spriggs, Jennifer

• Performing Organizations:

  The Ohio State University

  2036 Neil Avenue
  Columbus, OH  United States  43210
• Principal Investigators:

  Bruckerhoff, Lindsey

• Start Date: 20240916
• Expected Completion Date: 20260916
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aquatic life; Culverts; Environmental impacts; Wildlife crossings
• Geographic Terms: Ohio
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01930223
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Ohio Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 41216, 136816, 120524
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 13 2024 11:19AM