The effect of road crossings on northern Michigan stream morphology.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to see if culverts at road crossings significantly alter stream characteristics and functionality, and to determine whether or not future building alternatives should be sought. I measured the flow, temperature, and dissolved oxygen of the water at three, 5-meter intervals before and after passing through the culvert and measurements inside the culvert as well to see if these impacts were distinguishable. This study suggests that culverts were indeed impacting these stream characteristics and some of those impacts were dependent on the characteristics of the culvert design. With these findings, my study suggests that this form of infrastructure alters these basic stream characteristics and should be investigated further to determine whether these alterations contribute to changes in sedimentation, habitat distribution, and overall function of the stream system as a whole.