Stream Restoration — Getting to Design

Streams and rivers are dynamic systems which are undergoing constant change. Some of the changes can be accelerated by watershed development which result in negative impacts to infrastructure and the environment. Engineers have been increasingly asked to mitigate these damages and restore streams to more natural systems where the ecosystem is again favorable. Once tasked with environmental restoration of a stream, an engineer must determine the appropriate methodology to achieve this goal. Often this requires narrowing the focus of the project's geographic area, gathering field data, identifying the project's problem areas and finally producing a design. This task is often more difficult and time consuming than it first appears. The Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been involved in several river and stream restoration studies in the mid Atlantic area. These areas are both urban and suburban areas. Each project has presented its own unique opportunities and difficulties. A team comprised of many professional disciplines determines the needs associated with the project. The team will then determine the overall approach to data collection and site selection. Finally, a project that fits the requirements and desires of the study team can then be designed. The current paper will outline the steps used by the Baltimore District to determine the purpose, location, and general type of environmental restoration projects. Of particular interest in the current paper will be the planning process, goal setting and data collection leading to a conceptual design. The lessons learned from these studies may prove useful in future studies involving stream restoration and stream bank protection.