Private Water Crossings: Considerations Before You Build

4 | PRIVATE WATER CROSSINGS3.1 BridgesQuality designed and constructed bridges canmaintain the original watercourse channel bedwithout any alteration or disturbance. Sometypes of structures tend to restrict and obstruct thenormal and above normal flow of the waterway.Clear-span bridges do not require infilling orrestrict the area of water flow as culverts or multispanbridges do.Bridges provide better capacity to accommodatehigh flows while creating better inlet and outletconditions that allow debris to pass throughwithout blockage.Flood damage to bridges includes floodwatersoverwhelming the deck and superstructure as aresult of inadequate attention paid to the hydrauliccapacity of the bridge. Damage also results fromimpact and accumulation of debris.WATERFLOWBANK STABILIZATION AT ALL FOURBRIDGE QUADRANTS SEED ANDMULCH OR SODWINGWALLGUARDRAILBRIDGEDRIVEWAY OR LANERIPRAP INSTALLEDUNDER BRIDGE ANDALONG BANKS TOSTABILIZE AREA IF THEESTABLISHMENT OFVEGETATION OR FILTERFABRIC IS NOTAPPLICABLE.SALVAGE ANYTREES ANDSHRUBSWATER CHANNELSHOULD BE LEFTUNDISTURBEDFigure 3.1-1. Plan view of bridge