The surface of Halds Road is wollastonite. There is a steep western section as it goes down toward the Boquet River and meets Merriams Forge Road and where the old Fanny Swan bridge was placed. The road frequently washes and gullies in storms, and ditches and drainage culverts under Merriams Forge Road need constant attention and maintenance. Last fall, Highway Superintendent Franklin Walker installed a new culvert at the norther end. Unfortunately, the old and new culvert have made a gully along the Boquet River streambank, in some places 4-feet deep, so additional sediments are entering the river.
Halds Road and Merriams Forge Road have been re-graded. The northern ditch of Halds Road is being smoothed and readied for 3-dimensional fabric. Once the fabric is in place, topsoil and grass seed will be added. Small stone check dams will be placed in the ditch to keep material from washing before vegetation can get established. Later, these stones will be placed in the southern ditch which already has a good amount of ledge rock. Both culvert inlets on Merriams Forge Road will have settling basins dug around them and lined with stone. The landowner at the northern culvert entrance has approved sapling removal for basin digging, and is reviewing the NYSDEC Article 15 permit for the slope stabilization at the culvert outlet along the Boquet.
After photo of NW corner of Halds Road. Several re-seedings and mulch hay were necessitated by the summer drought. (Mulch hay covers view of 3-dimensional fabric secured in ditch.) Note small stone check dams to minimize erosion until the ditch is fully vegetated in grass.