EROSION

Soil erosion problems related to road works are

categorized into three areas:

Upper catchment (area draining towards the

road)

Road reserve

Lower catchment (the area below receiving

water from upper catchment and the road)

UPPER CATCHMENT
Problem:

-High runoff rates caused by naturally low water retention

capacity in the catchment areas due to poor vegetation cover
and/or impervious soils and/or hilly terrain.
-Excessive water runoff as a result of poor land management
practices resulting in low water retention capacity in
cultivated elds and grazing land and from built up areas
(roofs, foot paths & cattle tracks etc.)
-Runoff from cultivated land, grazing areas, foot paths and
cattle tracks, etc., adjacent to a road, carries sediment and
transports it towards the road servitude resulting in the
siltation of road drainage structures.
-Lack of appropriate soil and water conservation measures

UPPER CATCHMENT
Solution:

-Land owners are generally required to carry out soil

and water conservation activities on the their land
-The MoA through its extension officers is
responsible for providing advice on the identication
of the control measures and supervising the
implementation of such measures
-Road Agencies/Authorities construct secondary
drains (cut off drains) on the upper catchment areas

ROAD RESERVE
Problem:

-Scouring/gullying in side drains

-Scouring in culvert inlets and outlets
-Gullying on culvert outlets
-Scouring of bridges wing-walls and abutments
-Siltation of culverts and drains
-Slope failures on embankments

ROAD RESERVE
Solution:

-The MoR, Road Agencies/Authorities and local

authorities are responsible for the soil erosion
control measures needed on the roads under their
jurisdiction

LOWER CATCHMENT
Problem:

-gullying of culvert outfalls,

-gullying of mitre drain outfalls
-ooding and silt deposition causing damage to crops
and property

LOWER CATCHMENT
Solution:

-Initial construction of waterways with the required erosion control

measures (scour checks, check dams, and slope stabilization) is the
responsibility of the Road Authorities/Agencies, which should be
undertaken as part of the road improvement and maintenance works.
Planning and supervision of works shall be done by the project Engineers
with the assistance and advice of MoA extension staff and in consultation
with relevant stakeholders.
-Provision of soil and water conservation measures, for retaining and use
of runoff from the road (terraces, inltration ditches, ponds, and planting
grass) on individual farms is the responsibility of the land owner. The MoA
extension staff is expected to provide technical support in the planning,
construction and maintenance of such structures.
-Grass planting in off-carriageway drains and on embankments including
water ways to be the responsibility of the land owners
-Maintenance of the off-carriageway drains and soil erosion control
structures installed on their land shall be the responsibility of the
respective Land owners