The construction of road networks into timber harvest units or mining sites can be the single most important source of erosion and sediment delivery to streams and rivers. Establishing automated monitoring sites above and below the proposed road construction areas can provide detailed information about compliance with water quality standards before, during, and following road building activities. The first and second seasons following construction will likely produce the highest sediment loads.

After road systems are no longer in use, and particularly when the culverts are not maintained, they are likely to become an unacceptable landslide risks. Failed culverts, and the associated road prism, have the potential of delivering large quantities of sediment to the stream below. The highest potential for erosion following road removal is during the first or second rainy season, and the quantity of erosion is largely a product of the distribution, intensity, and volume of rainfall. A leading cause of sediment delivery to streams following road decommissioning is a result of the excavated crossings and side slopes adjusting to the natural grade. Turbidity Threshold Sampling provides an efficient method to measure turbidity and estimate storm event loads.