Beaver Creek Hydrology, LLC. Project Partners: Vulcan Materials: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Beaver Creek Hydrology, LLC.

Project Partners:

Vulcan Materials: boulders and gravel

National Recognition

On the 2012 TEN WATERS TO WATCH

list by National Fish Habitat Partnership

America’s Great Outdoors Rivers Initiative:

Harpeth River– project for Tennessee.

Identifies projects that are models to conserve key rivers, expand outdoor opportunities, and support jobs. Announced May 21, 2012. One per state and D.C.

One of new Harpeth River Blueway accesses near Franklin dam project

Why remove the low-head dam?

 River segment is on 303(d) list:

impaired by Siltation and Habitat Alteration and low dissolved oxygen (2 TMDLs)

 There are other approaches for

withdrawing water that will not affect river dynamics, water quality and aquatic life

 Required as part of upgrade of

water intake in city of Franklin’s water withdrawal permit

 Primary In-Stream Impact:

Low Head Dam

 6.2 feet high, 66 feet across  Creates aquatic habitat loss  Creates downstream bank instability  Creates upstream sedimentation

issues

 Fish passage barrier  Very low dissolved oxygen in pool

below structure violates water quality standards

Summer 2007 before state water withdrawal permit was set for city

• f Franklin’s drinking water plant.

Winter high flow season

Restoration Goals & Objectives

FUNDED BY: SARP – NFHAP – USFWS Aquatic Habitat Restoration Program - Total Award $350,000 Primary Goals

 Increase Fish Habitats and Remove Fish Passage Barriers  Improve Channel Stability  Improve Recreational Activities- Harpeth River BLUEWAY

Primary Objectives

 Remove Low Head Dam ($200,000 for Fish Passage)

 Reconnect 36 miles upstream (meet southeast aquatic habitat plan)– Harpeth will

be one of few completely unobstructed, free-flowing rivers in TN

 Restore freshwater passage and habitats (physical)  Increase dissolved oxygen level (chemical) (help meet Franklin’s stormwater permit

requirements)

 Install “Natural” In-Stream Habitats ($150,000 for Habitat Restoration)

 Natural channel design methodology  stabilize vertical stream banks and prevent erosion  create riffle/run/pool/glide habitats for native species  meet southeast aquatic habitat plan  Address impairments listed by State  Improve this TWRA winter trout stocking site

Restoration Design Elements

 Dam Removal - By TDEC  No Blasting Involved  Double-invert boulder cross vane  Bankfull benching  Toe wood structure  Boulder clusters  Log cross vanes  Log and boulder step-pools  Native vegetation

Double Invert Boulder Cross Vane

run pool glide Bankfull bench Bankfull bench Flow

The structure will:

• establish grade control,
• reduce bank erosion,
• create a stable channel,
• maintain channel capacity,
• maintain sediment transport

capacity, and competence

• Set water surface elevation for

water withdrawal pumps at level tied to the state permit. (Rosgen, 2006, Cross-vane, J-hook and W-weir

structures, Wildland Hydrology.)

riffle riffle

A Winter Trout Stocking Reach in Clear Creek, Golden, Colorado (after

• ne growing season)

Restoration of Murfrees Fork of the West Harpeth River, Williamson County, TN (during construction) Endangered Crawfish Habitats in Restoration of Mill Creek, Nolensville, Tennessee (after one growing season) Upstream Pool Control, Mill Creek, Nolensville, Tennessee (after one growing season)

Intake Structure

 Engineering Analysis

was performed on pump configuration

 City water withdrawal

will not change

Bankfull Bench

 The bankfull benches allow

easy access trails and points along water’s edge for recreation during low flows.

 The project reach is entrenched.  Entrenchment occurs when

bank heights exceed the normal high water (bankfull) heights

 The bankfull benches

additionally increase flood capacity

 Bankfull bench reduces stresses

• n the banks – reducing

erosion

Toe Wood Structure

The toe wood placement enhances fish habitats and food chains, stabilizes streambanks, maintains a low width/depth ratio, eliminates the need for toe rock… is cost effective with lower risk than other bank stabilization techniques (Rosgen 2010).

Boulder Clusters

The purpose of boulder clusters is to promote spatial variation in flow velocity to induce scour pools and to provide fish

• cover. The spatial

configuration is an adaptation of clusters shown in NRCS’s Stream Habitat Improvement Handbook (1992).

Log Cross Vanes

Three log cross vanes are shown along the channel

• f the southern
• tributary. These

structures are placed to control bed and bank erosion in the tributary.

Project Budget

Construction Total $ 578,720 Admin/Design/Management $ 229,400 Monitoring/Maintenance for 5-years $ 57,206 Estimated Total Project Cost $ 865,326

Compare to M&E intake upgrade and modified dam replacement (Alt. 2)

$ 1,160,000 USFW Grant Funds $ 350,000 Total in-kind needed $ 515,326 TDEC in-kind $ 189,000 Possible Further in-kind $ 33,860 City of Franklin cost $ 292,466

Compare to M&E cost to just remove lowhead dam (Alt. 5) $ 280,000

Advantages of Collaboration

 City of Franklin- project at 1/3 cost  TDEC- the regulating entity actually conducting part of the project, big

benefit to the city who has a permit specifically the lowhead dam removal.

 Project is a POSITIVE image enhancer to TDEC and Franklin. Also

viewed as Voluntary versus Required.

 Project shows state, federal, local governments and private sector with

conservation organization working together. This helps balance image that these entities are usually only at odds with each other.

 USFWS and TWRA– federal and state wildlife agencies and

partnerships are getting project that is high profile and helps implement wildlife recovery plans

 USFWS- might get a ESA candidate species agreement from Franklin  Without collaboration, project would likely not have the restoration

improvements, would have been done under regulatory pressure, would have cost the city full price. AND would very likely not have used innovative Natural Channel Design so there would still have been a structure in the river blocking fish passage.

Value and need of Partnerships

 Complex efforts like watershed plan implementation will not happen

entirely without partnerships that include trusted entities by the public

 Partnerships that include governments, NGOs, academia, private

entities can really leverage each others strengths– reduce costs, make projects happen with less contention, bring more private landowners and public support into the efforts

 TRUST among leadership in partners is ESSENTIAL– need key

people in partnership who already know each other. Can help build trust among other partners- ie permittee and agency

 Partnerships enable entities to take on roles on behalf of all. Ie- NGO

might be better to facilitate discussions among regulated and regulator to keep things informal or in be the applicant for certain funds on behalf of partnership.

Value and need of Partnerships

 Promote INNOVATION which then can become more

integrated into normal business and regulatory practices

 Overcome inertia and/or outright hostility toward new

approaches or ones that are out there but just not very common.

 TRAINING on the innovation is important.  Help demonstrate complete costs and benefits–

beyond the view from one entity