Protection Measures Selection Tool

Staging, storage, and stockpile areas must be outside of waters of the state. To the extent feasible, staging will occur on access roads or other previously disturbed upland areas, such as developed areas, paved areas, parking lots, areas with bare ground or gravel, and areas clear of vegetation, to avoid aquatic habitats and limit disturbance to surrounding habitats. Similarly, all maintenance equipment and materials (e.g., road rock and project spoil) will be restricted to the existing service roads, paved roads, or other determined designated staging areas. See GPM-10 for more details regarding protection measures for materials storage.

Staging areas will be established for equipment storage and maintenance, construction materials, fuels, lubricants, solvents, and other possible contaminants in coordination with resource agencies. Staging areas will have a stabilized entrance and exit and will be located at least 100 feet from bodies of water unless site-specific circumstances do not provide such a setback, in such cases the maximum setback possible will be used. If an off-road site is chosen and if special-status species are potentially present, the Biological Monitor will survey the selected site to verify that no aquatic resources would be disturbed by staging activities.

Stockpiling of materials, portable equipment, vehicles and supplies (e.g., chemicals), will be restricted to the designated construction staging areas. If rain is predicted in the forecast during the dry season, and stockpiled soils will remain exposed and unworked for more than 7 days, then erosion and sediment control measures must be used. If there is a high-wind scenario (to be defined by the approving Water Board as appropriate for an individual project site), then soils will be covered at all times. During the wet season, no stockpiled soils will remain exposed, unless properly installed and maintained erosion and sediment controls are in place on and around the stockpile. Temporary stockpiling of material onsite will be minimized. Stockpiled material will be placed in upland areas far enough away from aquatic habitats that these materials cannot discharge to a water of the state.