River Ecosystem Enhancements
We work with communities to connect them to their rivers and streams, providing technical and financial assistance. Our work focuses on implementing projects that reduce flood risk while enhancing ecosystem performance and community engagement. Relying on bioengineering and analysis of stream channel morphology, we bridge the gap between conventional flood practices – which harden channels and disrupt river processes – and restoration ecology, while engaging local communities in learning how to capture and maintain natural resource values, as well as protecting public safety and property.
River ecosystem enhancements:
- Increase/improve floodplain area or otherwise address flood control issues
- Improve streambank stability
- Improve water quality
- Improve/protect the ecology
- Increase long-term project support through community interaction
View the case studies below, to learn more.
Lower Russian River Bank Stabilization
A team of locally based engineers used several bioengineering techniques to support unstable terraces and stream banks in the area. The completed project benefits the residents of Sonoma County and its tourist industry. The project guarantees the site will permanently support endangered species, such as salmon, and improves river water quality. Erosion has been stabilized, preventing sediment from entering the river system, filling in deep-water pools, and destroying fish habitat. In addition, urban infrastructure is now protected from localized flood damage.
This project restored over 1,310 feet of riverbank, creating a high value fish and wildlife habitat along a 2,925-feet reach of the Russian River. The total riverbank area restored was 4.6 acres, at 3 sites. The project incorporated numerous soil bioengineering techniques to restore lost riparian habitat and prevent continued erosion.
Daylighting Case Study: Strawberry Creek
The Urban Streams Restoration Program (USRP) assisted in funding the daylighting of Strawberry Creek in Berkeley, California, took place in 1984 and was one of the first such projects in the United States. Strawberry Creek served as a testing ground for the concept of creek daylighting, which is opening up creeks that are confined to culverts to the open air and restoring ecological function to the stream. At Strawberry Creek, daylighting provided flood and erosion management for a section of the creek that previously ran in a culvert under an
abandoned railyard. The culvert was removed, swales were dug to carry runoff to the creek, boulders and concrete were carefully placed along the stream, and native vegetation was replanted. The project site covered about four acres and restored approximately 200 linear feet of Strawberry Creek.
More than 30 years later, the restoration work at Strawberry Creek is a key feature in a popular urban park. The Strawberry Creek project was funded by a partnership between the City of Berkeley, the City of Albany, a local developer, and the Urban Streams Restoration Program. A majority of the labor was done by volunteers, engaging the community, and helping to make the project a success.