"A Must Read!"

"This book is a Must for anybody interested in the Sacramento Rivers and tributaries with regards to fisheries, restoration, history AND just a beautiful coffee table book to stimulate FLUID discussions!" - John 

Check it out!

 

Muck Stabilization

 

Alameda/San Joaquin County

Mitchell's Ravine is (was) a tunnel muck site - a legacy of the  Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct from 1938. The water tunnel is about 600' under ground at this site!  San Francisco PUC-Hetch Hetchy and CA State Parks OHV Division, in conjunction with the RWQCB, were responsible for the collaborative mitigation/reclamation work.  The restoration plan for the 4+ acre site restoration was designed by John McCullah, geomorphologist and CPESC, Salix Applied Earthcare and engineering was completed by Fall Creek Engineering.  Neal Youngblood, Geologist Redwood National Park, provided invaluable expertise since this job was much like removing abandoned logging roads and landings.  Mike Vroman, Hetch Hetchy Right-of-Way Maintenance Manager, provided project oversight.

The waste pile, once entirely filling over 800-feet of the  "Ravine", has eroded episodically for over the last 70 years.  The eroded gravel-sized sediment has caused impacts, such as aggradation and erosion, downstream in downstream Mitchell's Ravine and Corral Hollow Creek. At least half of the "spoils" have eroded and moved downstream - some channel reaches have 'aggraded' by over 9 feet!  The restoration of the channel downstream is a story to be told in another blog, Stay Tuned! 

                                                                                                                                   

The stabilization of the remaining 20-30,000 CY was done onsite using "Landform Grading" strategies.  A 6-foot high rock toe wall was engineered for the left descending bank of the channel (approx. 800 feet) then the spoil material was placed above forming slopes that mimic the natural terrain and geomorphology.  Two natural drainages were continued through the "fill slopes".  See;  "Landforming: An Environmental Approach to Hillside Development, Mine Reclamation and Watershed Restoration", Horst J. Schor, Donald H. Gray, John Wiley & Sons, 2007 

                                                                                                                      

Photos 1 and 2

Looking Downstream at the remnants of the Tunnel Muck site before restoration began, September 2012

Click to read more ...

Cache Creek Before & After

John and Bruce just finished the 500' of bank repair on Cache Creek.

Do you want to hear more about how to build bank protection at 1/3 the cost $$ - compared to riprap ?

How is bioengineering combined with rock and redirective methods to develop equivelent (to riprap) protection that is Environmentally-sensitive?

How did utilizing Environmentally-Sensitive Biotechnical techniques effect the permitting process?

See how John and Bruce worked around and ultimately protected sensitive plants.

Give us a shout if you want more info.

In the meantime, see some before and after photos of Cache Creek.

 

 

Belly River Update!!!

John is up in Southern Canadian Rockies helping to fix up the Belly River and protect an Alberta Highway.

See photos and note the difference!!  Today he instructed Brush Layering with Soil Flaps (700 g/m2 coir netting), Pole Planting, Fiber Roll installation using "stake and rope method", and much more. 

John reports that this is the "windiest" region in Canada with the Chinooks wailing out of the Rockies.  There are reported 3000 wind generators in region.  Home of the Blood Tribe, largest first nation band in Canada - several members joined the workshop too.

 

 

Belly River Workshop

Bioengineering and Biotechnical Streambank Stabilization Techniques Workshop

October 16-18, 2012

Classroom Training - October 16th, 2012

Walerton Lakes Resort

Walerton Lanes National Park, Alberta

Field Training -  October 17 & 18, 2012

Hwy 800 Belly River

Instructor: John McCullah

This three day course will provide both theoretical and applied training in bioengineering and biotechnical stabilization techniques with a strong emphasis on erosion and sediment control The material presented will be of use to regulators, designers, project managers and contractors. 

This course is being presented by Centre for Transportation Engineering & Planning

Register On Line at:

www.c-tep.com

Contact Neil Little, Executive Director for more details 

nlittle@c-tep.com

The Belly River is "eating the bank" and undermining the Alberta DOT Highway

Close up taken in May 2012. Besides fixing teh problem, the idea for another "hands-on workshop" was spawned!!!

 

Emergency actions involved the Soil Nail Launcher, (See Willow Creek Episode of Dirt Time, for more information and actual vdeos!!)

The last two Images show the site now - ready for the workshop to do the bioengineering and biotechnical elements - Live Siltation, Willow Brushlayering, Soil Flaps with Brushlayering, Green Armor system TRMs and much much more.

The Longitudinal Peaked Stone Toe has been built and the rock vanes installed by the Contractor.  Project engineers are AMEC.

Want to learn more about the Environmentally-Sensitive Streambank Stabilization techniques?  As provided in NCHRP Report 544 and ESenSS.

See archive for more info on Fort McCloud and Willow Creek projects in Southern Alberta.  http://www.watchyourdirt.com/watchyourdirt-erosion-control/2012/6/20/new-belly-river-stream-project-and-workshop.html