Wildlife Protection

Keeping It Simple: Easy Ways to Help Wildlife Along Roads

Catch basin keeps road chemicals away from wildlife

Road equipment left on roadsides during work breaks can cause problems for wildlife. Emulsion oils used to seal cracks in asphalt can stick to animals' feet, fur, and feathers. It can plug pores in reptiles and insects. Diesel fuel used to clean the emulsion "distributor bars" can destroy the waterproof coating on bird feathers, leaving birds vulnerable to hypothermia. Iowa Department of Transportation maintenance crews prevent such occurrences simply by placing a long plastic catch basin under the equipment. They then pour the collected emulsion and fuel into a waste barrel and dispose of them.

--Apr 25, 2003

Mary Kay Solberg, (515) 239-1741 or MaryKay.Solberg@dot.iowa.gov

Basin placed underneath equipment to catch drips or spills

Photo by Jessie Weeks, Iowa Department of Transportation

Basin catches drips or spills from equipment

Along Roads - Iowa