Site Work

All onsite work will conform to the following criteria:

• Site: A site will not be in area of outstanding Resource Waters, Area of Critical Concern or in endangered species areas without prior approval or agreement from the proper authorities.
• Impact: A project will not result in a combined temporary and permanent impact of more than 5,000 square feet of bordering vegetated wetlands (BVW) unless it is exempt from USACE regulations.
• Timing: A project using the low pressure excavator must occur between July 1 and October 1 unless it is exempt from USACE regulations.
• Access/Egress: It may be necessary to clear a path to transport equipment and personnel to and from a site. Routes of access and egress will be chosen to minimize impact. Cleared brush may be placed on the path as a mat.
• Site Prep/Brushing: The clearing of brush will not exceed fifteen (15) feet on either side of the ditch for machine work, and five feet for handwork. Preferably cutting will occur on one side of the ditch. Cut brush will be neatly stacked beyond the range of spoil deposition, chipped or removed from the site. Brush will not be buried in the wetland. Spoil deposited on brush will be minimized. Only those trees and brush that may impede the flow of water or jeopardize the operation and safety of equipment and personnel will be cut.
• Excavations: All excavation work will be done pursuant to the specifications provided by the Wetland Project Coordinator or his/her designee. As much as possible, a ditch will not be excavated beyond its original or previously maintained dimension and course as indicated by the existing physical conditions of the ditch and the historical perspective of residents, abutters, municipal and/or state officials. In the event this is not feasible, a ditch will be excavated to confirm to the hydrology of the site. Principles of stream morphology will be taken into consideration to the greatest degree possible. The Wetland Project Coordinator or his/her designee will visit the project sites during restoration to ensure that all specifications are followed.
• Excavator: Excavation will be done by a licensed operator using a suitable low ground pressure tracked vehicle not to exceed three pounds per square inch (3 psi).
• Ditch Bottom: The grade and depth of the ditch bottom will not exceed the previously established grade. In the absence of an established grade the ditch bottom grade will be determined by the dimensions necessary to achieve sufficient flow. Depth is not to exceed bottom grade of the nearest down stream discharge.
• Down Stream: Excavation will begin or end at a point of adequate discharge.
• Spoil: Whenever possible excavated spoils will be deposited off the wetland onto an immediately adjacent upland edge and graded. Spoils deposited on a wetland will be spread as thinly and evenly as possible, not to exceed a depth of six inches above grade on alternating banks of the ditch so as not to impede lateral flow. Deposition of naturally occurring mineral spoils will be kept to a minimum and should not exceed 30% of the total spoil displaced. When conditions dictate spoils be deposited on one side of the ditch only, spoils will be randomly breached at appropriate intervals to promote lateral flow.
• Road Sand Runoff: Whenever possible road sand run off will be deposited off the wetland or removed from the site.
• Soil Erosion & Sediment Control: Measures will be undertaken to reduce negative impacts from soil erosion or excess sedimentation associated with maintenance work. Measures will include but are not limited to; placement of hay bales or check dams in front of downstream culverts, lining unstable banks with hay bales or vegetative mats to prevent slippage of slopes, planting indigenous grasses to promote slope stability, and leaving riparian zones intact wherever possible. CMMCP will coordinate with other agencies, town departments and/or property owners whenever possible to implement effective and reasonable soil erosion measures.
• Posting: Whenever possible, ditch maintenance sites using mechanized equipment will be posted with all-weather “Ditch Maintenance” signs one week prior to commencement, and signs will remain for a minimum of two weeks after completion of a project. These signs will have information such as our name, address, phone number, and website address in clear, prominent letters.

CMMCP will work with the US Army Corps of Engineers where appropriate in order to establish the proper set of guidelines for ditch maintenance work. In addition to the above guidelines, we have the following input from the Army Corps of Engineers:

• Mosquito control work performed during the low flow period (July1-Oct.1) with less than 5,000 square feet of temporary and combined wetland impact is covered by the Programmatic General Permit.
• Restoration work done outside of these parameters must be on sites that previously existed and were maintained prior to July 1, 1977 (Clean Waters Act).
• There must have been no change in use of the wetland after July 1, 1977.
• Restoration work that removes all spoil from the wetland is exempt from Army Corps regulation.
• All other work requires additional permitting (Category 1 or IP).
• CMMCP must have adequate information in the files regarding the background and legal justification for the project.

If CMMCP needs a determination on a particular site, we will notify the Corps, send them an 8 ½" X 11" site plan, and they will provide a verification of maintenance upon visitation and approval.

Information on mosquito control in Massachusetts is available on the Army Corps of Engineers' Regulatory/Permitting Division webpage. The following information below has been excerpted from this website:

• Mosquito Ditching Guidance Letter: This letter, dated July 14, 2004, is from Christine Godfrey, Chief, Regulatory Division to Lealdon Langley, Wetlands Protection Program, Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection.
• Initial Public Notice: The reissuance Public Notice of the Department of the Army Massachusetts Programmatic General Permit (PGP), dated January 24, 2005
• Programmatic General Permit: This document expedites review of minimal impact work in coastal and inland waters and wetlands within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Effective Date: January 20, 2004 – Expiration Date: January 20, 2010.