Specialist: Creative solutions to road issues has the PA dirt and gravel program looking bright

​Riverkeeper note: The following feature was written by Northern Tier Regional Director Emily Shosh after a Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Podcast conversation with Andrew Mickey.

​Andrew Mickey, Conservation Program Specialist with the State Conservation Commission (SCC), has been an avid outdoorsman in the coal region of Schuylkill County - fishing and hunting since he was a kid.

"These interests, and seeing the environmental damage caused by historic mining, led me to get involved with conservation organizations and ultimately pursue a career in conservation,” he said.
 
Now, Mickey coordinates projects with the SCC within the Pennsylvania Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Roads (DGLVR) Maintenance Program.

“I cover all PA counties, providing administrative and technical assistance to conservation districts, assisting with road improvement projects that reduce the road’s environmental impact,” Mickey said. He previously administered the DGLVR Program with the Potter County Conservation District from 2019-2023.

In Mickey’s volunteer life, he serves as the State Chair for the Pennsylvania Chapter of Native Fish Coalition, the Secretary for the God’s County Chapter of Trout Unlimited, sits on the Conservation Committee for PA Trout Unlimited and is a board member of the Schuylkill Headwaters Association.

There are two major goals of the DGLVR program in PA.

One is to reduce the environmental impacts caused by roads, especially accelerated erosion and sedimentation to streams. Sediment degrades aquatic habitat, smothering gravel needed for fish spawning and creating unsuitable habitat for many macroinvertebrates. Accumulated sediment in streams can also increase flooding.

The other major goal is to reduce the need for frequent road maintenance and/or increase the time interval between maintenance cycles. ​

Andrew Mickey is a Conservation Program Specialist with the State Conservation Commission.

Listen to the full interview with Andrew Mickey in the most recent episode of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Podcast:

​"Both of these goals are achieved through the implementation of what we call ‘environmentally sensitive maintenance practices (ESM,'" he said. "These are a wide variety of maintenance or construction practices that provide stable, long-term solutions for both the road and stream. We like to use the motto 'Better Roads, Cleaner Streams.'"

On unpaved roads in rural environments, common ESM practices include the installation of new, additional cross pipes to outlet the road ditch more frequently.

"The shortening of ditch lengths reduces the volume and velocity of stormwater in the ditch, preventing or reducing the erosion in the ditch line that ends up putting sediment in our streams. Elevating the road with the addition of quality road fill material allows the road to drain more freely which prevents erosive flows on the road surface and provides a better road base," Mickey said. "The final piece of many unpaved road projects is resurfacing the road with driving surface aggregate which is a well-bound aggregate mixture that holds up better to traffic and is erosion-resistant."

Another major practice the program tackles is the replacement of undersized stream crossings. Improving these structures offers increased aquatic organism passage and flood resiliency. 

"The program takes the approach of 'stream continuity' to create a better stream crossing. We survey the stream to tell us what the stream needs to function naturally, and then we recreate that through the replacement structure which better connects the upstream and downstream reach," he said. "We’re putting in larger structures that extend beyond the width of the stream to improve stream function through the crossing, increase flood resiliency and public safety, and increase the longevity or lifespan of the replacement structure."

Each county conservation district administers DGLVR funding allocations and functions differently to best suit local needs.

“Overall, the DGLVR Program receives $35 million dollars annually. Approximately $7 million goes to DCNR to fund projects on State Forest and State Park Roads. The other $28 million goes to the State Conservation Commission and is then allocated to each county from there to administer the program and fund local road projects," Mickey explained. "Townships are the biggest participant in the program, although boroughs, PennDOT, Fish and Boat Commission and other public road owning entities are able to apply."

Typically, conservation districts meet with the applicant to assess sites, come up with a site plan, and assist with material amounts and costs prior to an application. Conservation districts rank all the project applications using a locally adopted criteria that assesses the severity of the existing pollution and other problems, and the effectiveness of the proposed solution.

Each district has a quality assurance board (QAB) that completes or reviews the rankings. The QAB recommends applications from the ranking list for funding, typically from highest ranking project down until the funding allocation is exhausted.

“At the end of the day, the township or other project participant owns the project," Mickey said. "Work is either completed by the project participant, a contractor, or a combination of the two. Conservation district staff oversee construction to make sure practices meet program goals and are installed according to the plan."

The Center for Dirt and Gravel Studies (CDGRS) at Penn State is in place to serve as a technical assistance provider to the DGLVR Program. Staff may be requested by districts to assess sites prior to the application period to help determine the project scope. They may also be involved with construction oversight when requested.

"Outside of projects, the SCC and CDGRS provide a lot of education to conservation districts to help them administer the program more effectively and implement better projects," said Mickey.

One recent project example Mickey likes to showcase is Polly Pine Road in Union County. The project was a stream crossing replacement and the first one completed to the new stream crossing standard, which was adopted in 2022 to provide better guidance relating to reconnecting the stream and increasing flood resiliency when replacing stream crossings. 

“Polly Pine was a site with a lot of bang for the buck,” he said.

The existing two side-by-side 4-foot pipes in a 15-foot wide stream frequently clogged, leading to water overtopping the road. They were also a barrier to aquatic organism passage.

These old structures were replaced with a 22 foot wide box culvert. The project reconnected well over a mile of upstream coldwater habitat on Spruce Run, a Class A trout stream.

Union County was hit with eight inches of rain in Hurricane Debby right after the project was finished.

“While many other stream crossings were damaged or washed out during the flooding, Polly Pine Road, the stream and the box culvert looked exactly as they did after project completion after the flood waters receded," Mickey said. "The project was a real testament to our stream crossing standard working and the benefits it provides in high flow events."

One challenge to the program includes building buy-in from road owning entities.

​“We are trying to get road owners to implement practices that are sometimes outside of their traditional maintenance and construction practices. It can be a challenge to get seasoned road staff to give our practices and approach a try," he said. "But it’s a good feeling when a road owner sees a practice work and that reduces the amount of time they have to spend fixing that road. It’s really cool to see the light bulb turn on in those instances."

Project costs can also be a big hurdle.

"To fix things correctly can sometimes cost a lot of money. Conservation districts receive funding based on the miles of unpaved and low volume roads they have. In counties with few roads, their allocation may not be enough to cover a single larger project, such as a stream crossing or a landslide," Mickey said. "Many districts are really great at stretching DGLVR Program dollars by leveraging additional outside funding sources. Many project participants are really great about contributing what they can as well."

For all the identified pollution sites on roads in Pennsylvania, Mickey admitted they can’t fix them all.

"Many road owners like townships and boroughs are struggling to maintain their roads. But we’re glad we can help them out where possible and make a positive improvement to the environment on that site," he said. 

“There is always a chance the program may receive more funding which would lead to more projects and more comprehensive projects getting completed, and more conservation district staff time dedicated to the program," he added. "Roads and road pollution aren’t going anywhere, so hopefully this program isn’t going anywhere either. We have a new program director with some big and positive ideas for the program. The future of the program is looking bright."

For those looking to get involved in this work, Mickey suggests contacting your municipality and county conservation district when observing dirt in the stream or an undersized stream culvert causing erosion, sedimentation or a fish passage barrier.

You can also reach out to your conservation district to potentially get involved with stream and crossing assessments or project work.

“They often welcome these opportunities. Joining your local Trout Unlimited chapter or watershed association can be a great way to get involved in conservation locally,” Mickey said.

Find your TU chapter here, or find your watershed association here.