Stream Restoration Using Engineered Wood Structures Harvested from On-site: The Past and Future of Streams

Abstract

Modifications of our watersheds, starting with beaver extirpation and continuing through current land development practices (whether for agriculture, residential, commercial, or institutional uses), have negatively impacted our stream resources. Changed watershed hydrology has led to stream channel enlargement and isolation from stream valley and floodplain resources, with a cascade of resource degradation. Stream restoration—specifically restoration using engineered wood structures to restore the stream valley and floodplain connection—can sustainably reverse the cascade of degradation and regenerate natural processes that will continue to improve the system’s ecological function over time. Wood has been used to enhance fish habitat in streams for decades, but it has largely served to augment the use of rock in stream restoration projects. Stream restoration using wood is gaining interest and acceptance following the publication of manuals such as “Stream Restoration Using Large Wood” (Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center, 2016) and “Low-Tech Process Based Restoration Manual” (Wheaton et al. 2019).