This document outlines 5 key lessons learned from river restoration projects: 1. Develop restoration plans based on understanding natural river processes rather than subjective preferences. 2. Ensure uniform dissipation of energy and heat along the river's length to support fisheries. 3. Understand the river's "central tendency" or natural stable form and dimensions. 4. Consider floodplain interactions and avoid limiting the river or fishery through channel incision or poor floodplain function. 5. Use regional curves appropriately to guide design while accounting for local conditions through "mini-regional" curves.

1. Restoration Lessons Learned
From a Fish Hugger & River Nerd
David Bidelspach
James Vincent

2. Restoration Lessons Learned
• #1 – Develop a Process Based Restoration
• Matrix for Key Species
• #2 – Energy/Heat Dissipation
• Un-uniform Energy Dissipation will limit the fishery
• #3 - Central Tendency of a River
• This is not subjective; understand fluvial geomorphology
• #4 – Floodplain Interactions
• Don’t let the fishery be Imparted by Channel Incision and Poor
Floodplain Function
• #5 – Regional Curves and Mini-Regional Curves
• Trying to provide habitat improvements without the proper channel
dimension is like a “Love Grenade”. You are lovingly trying to help the
fishery but it is just going to blow up in your face

3. #1 – Develop a Process Based Restoration
• Process based design is a design that is
targeted to increase the function of a
process to meet the goals and
objectives of a project. Paraphrase from Dr. Palmer June 2nd

4. #2 – Uniform Energy/Heat Dissipation
• Uniform Energy Dissipation vs. Large Energy
Dissipation Structures
– Longitudinal Profile concavity
– Profile Slope should decrease with flow
– Transition between energy states or maintenance
• Pool- Pool Spacing
– Existing conditions as a boundary based on reach
stability and confinement
– Central tendency and effective discharge
• Width to Depth Ratio – Thermal Heat Transfer

5. AS-BUILTLONG PRO vs. PRE CONDITION LONG PRO
CH
WS
BKF
P1
P2
P3
P4
ExistingBasedon As-built
Elevation(ft)
Distancealongstream(ft)
940
942
944
946
948
950
952
954
956
958
960
962
964
966
968
970
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400
XS5-ASBUILT
XS6-ASBUILT
XS3-ASBUILT
XS2-ASBUILT

6. Non- Uniform Energy Dissipation

7. Add Water

8. #3 - Central Tendency of the River
• The answers are in the River
• Use current technology to document existing
morphology
– Scour lines
– Deposition - Bar Formation
– Bankfull Features when appropriate
– Pool-Pool spacing
– Reference Parameters and Reference Reach

10. Simon
Channel
Evolution
Model
Source:
Simon, 1989,
USACE 1990

12. Matrix
Channel Incision – High WDR
- Vegetation and Sediment Transport

13. Channel Incision – High WDR
- Vegetation and Sediment Transport

14. # 4 Floodplain Interactions - Incision
• Choice of Design Flow and Flow Regimes
– Don’t limit the design to the Bankfull flow
• (~ 1.2yr event in NC)
– Design up to an acceptable risk level with multiple flows
• (1.01 Low- Flow, 1.2yr Bankfull, 2yr, 5 yr, 25yr, 100 yr)
• Convergence and Divergence of all Design Flows
– Change in velocity and sediment transport competency and capacity
due to convergence and divergence of flow could lead to critical flow
and a hydraulic jump
• ( 10:1 Horizontal transition)
• (100:1 vertical from the channel slope)
• Turning of Design Flows
– Increase of Shear Stress based on radius of curvature is not limited to
the bankfull channel
• (2* W Min radius of curvature for any design flow)

15. Saamis Coulee Medicine Hat , Alberta
- Choice of Design Flow and Flow Regimes

16. Floodplain Interactions and Function

17. Channel Incision – High WDR
- Vegetation and Sediment Transport

18. # 5 Mini- Regional Curves
• A mini- regional curves within the disturbed watershed
can be used as a design tool more appropriately than a
standard bankfull regional curve
• A mini-regional curve based on area can be done for
any project and should be to help quantify design
uncertainty
• Create regional curves on bankfull, Inner-berm, TOB
and other depositional features when available
• Published regional curves should be used as a
comparison not as a design tool
• Discuss regional and mini-regional curves with friends

20. Bankfull
y = 18.762x0.6239
R2
= 0.9738
Inner Berm
y = 8.7236x0.6359
R2
= 0.9578
ALL TOB WITH SANDY DEP
y = 54.17x0.4879
R2
= 0.8556
TOB 45% - 65% Imp
y = 68.465x0.6289
R2
= 0.9861
TOB 25% - 45%
y = 45.515x0.6292
R2
= 0.9358
TOB 10% - 25%
y = 37.299x0.6137
R2
= 0.9933
1.0
10.0
100.0
1000.0
10000.0
0.1 1.0 10.0 100.0 1000.0
Cross-ASectionalArea(sqft)

21. Restoration Fundamentals
• The answers are in the river
• Are we fighting the central tendency?
• This is not a subjective
• What is the geomorphic potential?
• Design sustainability
• Floodplain Interactions
• Don’t let the fishery be limited by Channel
Incision and Poor Floodplain Function