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1 The Lower Red River Restoration Project After Three Years, Did Anything Really Happen? Tom Bourque, P.E. Erik Ryan, P.E. TerraGraphics Environmental Engineering Project Location LEWISTON
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The Lower Red River Restoration Project
After Three Years, Did Anything Really Happen?
Tom Bourque, P.E.Erik Ryan, P.E.
TerraGraphics Environmental Engineering
Project Location
LEWISTON
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Red River Study Reach
• Lodgepole and ponderosa pine uplands• Elevation = 4200 ft• Annual ppt (mostly snowmelt) = 30 in• Drainage area = 100 mi2• Bankfull discharge = 580 cfs• Alluvial pool-riffle channel; C and E
types• Channel length = 2.5 mi• Slope=0.0016; sinuosity=2.7
Local History• “The fish were so numerous that a
stagecoach could cross the stream without touching the channel bottom.”
• “The vegetation was so dense that cattle rustlers used the meadow to hide stolen cattle.”
• “When Momma asked me to fetch water from the creek, I could not dip the bucket in without getting a bunch of fish too.”
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Project Objectives
• Restore natural river channel shape, meander pattern, and substrate.
• Restore meadow and riparian plant communities.
• Promote public and agency awareness and scientific knowledge of river restoration principles and technques.
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1994 Channel Alignment
Restoration Phases
Pre-Construction Post-Construction
2000(2002 photo)
1996
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• Constructed 1996• High Bankfull Width• Minimal Deposition
• Constructed 2000• Equilibrium Channel
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Construction Techniques
• Use of Existing Sod/Depressions• Soil Wraps• Single Piece of Fabric Over Bank
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Temporary Bank Stabilization
• Building a New Bank– Soil Wraps– Approx 5 Years
• Digging Channel Through Existing– Coir Fabric on Slope– Approx 2 Years
Bank Height/Composition
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Tributaries/Wetlands
• 66 Creek• Loon Creek
Hydroperiod AnalysisMax Discharge about 2x Bankfull
Comparison of Water Surface Elevations at Cross Section 16
4223
4224
4225
4226
4227
4228
4229
4230
31-M ar-97 20-Apr-97 10-M ay-97 30-M ay-97 19-Jun-97 9-Jul-97 29-Jul-97 18-Aug-97 7-Sep-97 27-Sep-97
1994 Channel Geometry 2001 Channel Geometry Floodplain Inundation Elevation
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1994 Channel Geometry 2000 Channel Geometry
Floodplain InundationBankfull Flow +15% (660 cfs)
Vegetation
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2000 2000
2003 2004
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20032001
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Increased bird species Increased bird species abundance and diversity abundance and diversity
Heat Transport Model Heat Transport Model (Scenario(Scenario 11))
Longitudinal Temperature Profile 13.08.02 18:00 hScenario 1 and 1a
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18.5
19
19.5
20
20.5
21
21.5
22
22.5
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000
Chainage [m]
Tem
pera
ture
[°C
]
Temperature Calculated
Measured Temperature
Temperature calculated, increasing of Shadingfor Section 6 and 7 of 15 %Temperature calculated, increasing of Shadingfor Section 6 and 7 of 10 %
Upstream Meadow
Chan-nelized
Canyon Project Site
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Heat Transport Model Heat Transport Model (Scenario(Scenario 2a2a))
Longitudinal Temperature Profile 13.08.02 18:00 hScenario 02a
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17.5
18
18.5
19
19.5
20
20.5
21
21.5
22
22.5
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0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 14000
Chainage [m]
Tem
pera
ture
[°C
]
Temperature calculated before Restoration
Measured Temperature before Restoration
Temperature calculated after Restoration
Temperature calculated after Restoration and increase of shading of10% in Section 05, 06 and 07
S05 S06 S07 S08
S05 S06 S07 S08
Heat Transport Model Heat Transport Model (Scenario(Scenario 33))
Longitudinal Temperature Profile 13.08.02 18:00 hScenario 3a
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17.5
18
18.5
19
19.5
20
20.5
21
21.5
22
22.5
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0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000
Chainage [m]
Tem
pera
ture
[°C
]
Temperature Calculated
Measured Temperature
Temperature Calculated (Scenario 3)
Temperature Calculated (Scenario 3a)
Upstream Meadow
Canyon Project Site
Chan-nelized
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Lessons Learned• Use of Existing Sod• Importance of Vegetation• Equilibrium Channel Design• Bank Height/Composition• Importance of Tributaries• Upstream/Downstream Effects
Acknowledgements• Bonneville Power Adminstration– Funding Agency• Idaho Country Soil and Water Conservation District – Owner• Technical Advisory Committee – Peer Review• Wildlife Habitat Institute – Project Management and Revegetation• TerraGraphics – Final Engineering and Implementation, and
Monitoring• LRK – Monitoring Coordination and Communications• University of Idaho, Ecohydraulics Research Group – Conceptual
Engineering and Monitoring• Professional Operators Company - Construction
