Station Creek Restoration Project

Justin Kilmer, Andrew Helfrich, Mariah Kromanaker, Mark Devey

Overview

● Terry Westerberg’s Farm● Station Creek

○ Tributary to the Bear River● Recognition of previous success on Birch Creek

Objectives

1. Creation of BDA structures allow the stream to diversify and create heterogeneous geomorphic units for fish habitat (Bouwes et al. 2016).

2. Creation of BDA and woody debris structures cause floodplain connectivity with the creek making the system a self-sustaining, wood-accumulating, complex meadow habitat good for wildlife (Lee 2017).

Challenges

● Potential Threats○ Infrastructure○ Culvert○ Road crossing

● Downstream Neighbor● Beaver establishment

Opportunities

● Good riparian condition● Historic beaver dams● Mr. Westerberg willing to live

with beaver

Photo Credit: Joe Wheaton

Photo Credit: Audree ProvardPhoto Credit: Peter Wilcock

Planning Considerations

Riparian Condition (left)

Potential to Support Beaver

Dam Activity (right)

Planning Considerations

Figure 5. Figure from Bennett et al. (2019), ch. 3. Risk analysis sheet for Station Creek.

Risks● Structures● Ornamental Trees● Culvert● Two-Track Road

Planning Considerations

Postless Or Post Assisted?

Copied from Figure 30 Shahverdian et al. 2019, ch. 4.

Copied from Figure 36 Shahverdian et al. 2019, ch. 4

Design Plan

● Implement 2 complexes ○ Complex 1

■ 1 primary■ 1 secondary■ 1 bank blaster

○ Complex 2■ 1 primary■ 2 secondaries

● Hypotheses○ Primary dams

■ Ponding■ Flood plain

○ Secondary dams■ Slow water■ Some ponding

Implementation

Implementation

● Ponding● Overland Flow/ Floodplain

Connectivity

Photo Credit: Left, Below-Andrew Helfrich, Right-Joe Wheaton

Adaptive Management

● Monitor for beaver activity

● Check for breaches

● Observe desired processes

Adapted from figure 11,

Portugal et al. (2015)

Conclusion

Criteria for Success● 3-5 occupied complexes● Ponding

○ Fish present in ponds● Increase of active floodplain & riparian zone● Multi-threaded channels

Questions?

Sources

● Bouwes, N., Weber, N., Jordan, C. E., Saunders, W. C., Tattam, I. A., Volk, C., ... & Pollock, M. M. (2016). Ecosystem experiment reveals benefits of natural and simulated beaver dams to a threatened population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Scientific Reports, 6, 28581.

● Lee, A. A. (2017). Leave it to Beavers: Evaluating the Potential for Incised Stream Restoration using Natural and Analog Beaver Dams.

● Shahverdian, S.M., Wheaton, J.M., Bennett, S.N., Bouwes, N., Camp, R., Jordan, C.E., Portugal, E. and Weber, N., 2019. Chapter 4 – Mimicking and Promoting Wood Accumulation and Beaver Dam Activity with Post-Assisted Log Structures and Beaver Dam Analogues In: J.M. Wheaton, S.N. Bennett, N. Bouwes, J.D. Maestas and S.M. Shahverdian (Editors), Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration of Riverscapes: Design Manual. Utah State University Restoration Consortium, Logan, Utah. 66 pp.