Tour showcases results of streambank restoration project
Nature conservationists, students, industry representatives and local residents convened at Gibbs Ranch on Thursday to see the results of a streambank restoration project that managed to save approximately 2,500 feet of the Osage Creek from erosion that has resulted from flooding events.
The day’s event was hosted by representatives of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP), the Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) and the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust. The itinerary began in the morning, with educational lectures about the goals — current and future — of the IRWP, certain streambank restoration practices that are used by the WCRC as well as land conservation practices.
Attendees were treated to lunch provided by Chickadee’s Fresh Fare, followed by a tour of the restoration site — which is located on the northeastern part of the property — that was led by Sandi Formica, executive director of the WCRC. The purpose of the project was to eliminate cutbanks, which are abrupt drop-offs on the bank of creeks and rivers that result from water erosion, Formica said.
The construction of the project was completed about two and a half years ago, which required replanting native plant species on and around the site, complete reconstruction of the floodplain located to the west of the creek as well as toe-wood techniques, that use strategically placed pieces of natural woody debris to stabilize the stream, Formica said. The site will continue to be monitored and maintained by the WCRC.
The project was necessary because in the two years prior to the beginning of construction, the landowner lost roughly 50 feet of streambank to erosion; land he owns but can no longer use, she said.
Other reasons for the project, and others like it, are that when
cutbanks are allowed to persist without intervention, they cause river instability that leads to problems such as trees falling into the water and sediment build-up, which often contains substances such as nitrogen and phosphorus that depreciate water quality, said Stephanie Burchfield, project manager of the IRWP. Burchfield added that not only do cutbanks cause people to lose land, they also prevent people from being able to use the strip of land even relatively close to or near the edge of the bank because it is typically very unstable.
The WCRC is a Fayetteville-based organization that often works with private landowners to complete projects like this, Formica said. They facilitate restoration projects in different locations across Northwest Arkansas, and have plans to complete a similar project on the upper portion of Osage Creek in Rogers in the near future.
“I enjoy doing this type of work, it is satisfying but at the same time it is extremely challenging,” Formica said. “It is a minimum of a five to 10 year investment because even after you design and build them, you still have to monitor and maintain them. But, when we go to a restoration (site) and see that it is doing its job, it is extraordinarily satisfying, so it is worth all of the challenges. These aren’t just streambank restoration projects, they are ecological restoration projects.”