Alternative Snow Fence ProgramWhy does the City use snow fences? Why does the City use snow fences?The City uses snow fences as part of its annual winter road maintenance program. Properly placed snow fences reduce the build-up of drifting snow and ice on roads, and help to keep winter roads safe by improving visibility for motorists. What is a snow fence?A snow fence is typically made of wood slats or synthetic material and is placed on a property with the consent of the landowner in the fall following crop removal and dry ground conditions. The fence is removed in the spring, when ground conditions permit, and prior to crop planting. When erecting and removing the snow fence, the window of opportunity is narrow to meet the landowner’s cropping schedule. There is no payment to landowners for access to their land for installation of a snow fence. The City of Ottawa currently erects many kilometres of traditional wood-slat snow fences along its roadway network. What is an alternative snow fence?The City of Ottawa began a pilot project during the winter of 1996-97 to investigate the use of corn and tree rows as alternatives to traditional snow fencing. It has shown that corn and trees provide the same protection as regular wood-slat snow fencing. The program has expanded and has proven to be an economical way for the City to provide a safer driving surface during the winter months. What are the benefits of alternative snow fencing?Standing corn and trees are an economical alternative to the high cost of installing, removing, repairing, replacing and storing traditional snow fences. They keep our roadways safe and clear of snow and ice build-up during the winter season. In addition, corn also eliminates concerns raised over potential damage to tile drainage systems, which may occur with the installation of wood-slat fences. How to participate?Sites are selected by priority of problem drifting areas, and by priority of road class, as well as budget consideration. In partnership with the City of Ottawa, landowners with a corn cropping system are encouraged to participate in the Alternative Snow Fencing Program to help maintain the safety of our roadways during the winter months. Each year, in the late summer, city staff visit with landowners to ask them to leave a properly located swath of standing corn throughout the winter instead of installing traditional snow fencing. A successful snow-break using corn requires landowners to leave a strip of corn six to 12 row wide, parallel to the roadway, approximately 20 meters from the road right-of-way property line. Will the City compensate the landowner for alternative snow fence?The City of Ottawa will compensate the landowner based on several factors, including the market value per tonne of the unharvested corn, the yield of tonnes per acre and measurement of the actual acres standing (six to 12 rows). Payment is made to the landowners in December following field calculations. The final payment made to the landowner factors in efforts for cleanup work in the spring. Can trees be used as an alternative to snow fencing?In areas that are not used for agriculture, the City of Ottawa is encouraging landowners to plant trees as windbreaks along roadways. When planting tree windbreaks, the setback distance from the edge of the roadway is the same as for corn (about 20 meters from the road right-of-way property line). Tree windbreaks offer:
To find out more or to participate in the Alternative Snow Fencing Program, please call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or send an e-mail to 311@ottawa.ca. |
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