|
West Fork of the East Branch of the Black River;
Medina County, Ohio
Envirotech
Consultants, Inc., and Scott Sonneberg of Eco-Design and Engineering, Ltd as the consultant to the North Coast Regional Council of
Park Districts (NCRCPD), were retained to
restore 5,000 linear feet of degrading stream habitat along the West Fork
of the East Branch of the Black River in Medina County, Ohio.
The
restoration of the West Fork offered numerous design challenges. The stream
banks were severely degraded due to the negative impacts of channel
straightening that occurred with the expansion of roads and railways. The
restoration plan required the support of multiple governmental agencies and careful
monitoring of stream conditions before and after construction.
Envirotech's
comprehensive restoration strategy was predicated on the rationale of
lifting the stream's base flow by approximately four feet and restoring
access to the floodplain. This was accomplished by installing V-weirs to
adjust the gradient of the stream, installing new riffles to replace those
lost by increasing the stream depth, and terracing the high banks to
reestablish access to the floodplain. The restoration improved the overall
stream quality, restored a more natural stream morphology, integrated the
stream into its floodplain and enhanced stormwater capacity via the
addition of filtration wetlands.
Envirotech
collaborated with the OEPA's ecological assessment professionals to collect
and analyze data on the stream's fish and invertebrate communities prior to
construction and will continue following construction to assess the effects of
the restoration on the biological integrity of the communities. An
agricultural crossing was also integrated into the design to accommodate
local needs. The restoration strategy for this project demonstrates our
ability to conceptualize, design, implement and monitor large-scale,
multi-variable, comprehensive challenges with numerous desired objectives.
|
