Its All in the Dirt

Perhaps the most harmful damage to Georgia’s land and water resources is incurred through unchecked and uncorrected erosion and sediment deposition. Sediment in Georgia comes from many sources including agricultural operations, forestry practices, construction projects and other activities that convert land from one use to another.

As part of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD) 319 H Grant Projects, one item that is addressed is sedimentation deposits due to dirt roads that have direct access to or near the streams and creeks.  During rainfall, dirt and silt wash down the ditches on either side of the road and gets washed into waterways. This added dirt and silt cause these waterways to become clogged and stagnant.

The GAEPD and the US Fish and Wildlife Service have provided grant money and technical assistance through implementation of Better Back Road techniques to help keep the sedimentation from being washed down into the watershed.

These types of projects help ensure that sediment will no longer wash down into the waterways, keeping the creeks and streams from being blocked and the water from becoming unsuitable for habitation.

Golden Triangle has partnered with Baker, Early, Mitchell, Miller and Terrell Counties to install Better Back Road techniques on 10 county dirt roads to correct erosion issues, stream side degradation, damaged culvert pipes, road flooding, and creation of turnouts to control and direct water flow back into the creeks.

In 2020, Golden Triangle was awarded a grant from GAEPD to update the Georgia Better Back Road Field Manual (Red Book) to include new technologies and updates for existing Best Management practices. Once completed, this updated manual will be distributed to GAEPD (Georgia Environmental Protection Division), GDOT (Georgia Department of Transportation), other RCD councils, and local city/county Road Departments.