Stream Restoration Workshops

On October 18, Mountain Visions filmed a streambank stabilization project in Rockingham County. The stabilization project took place on the final day of a three-day Stream Restoration Workshop sponsored by the Virginia Department of Forestry, USFS Potomac Watershed Partnership, Department of Conservation and Recreation 319 grant, James Madison University and the Fairfax County Park Authority. This workshop focused on stream restoration techniques in agriculture areas and was the first of two workshops held this fall in Virginia. The second was held in Fairfax, VA with an emphasis on stream restoration in urban areas.

Workshop participants get hands on training installing biologs, and matting along Smith Creek.

Forty people participated in the workshop that was held at James Madison University from October 16th through October 18th. The first day of the workshop took place in the classroom and covered such topics as the history of Virginia land uses and stream conditions, stream dynamics, stream typing, natural stream channel design, habitat considerations, restoration techniques and the collection of field measurements for restoration projects. On the second day of the workshop, participants collected field data that are needed to perform a stream restoration. Participants gathered data on channel substrate, longitudinal profile, cross-sectional survey and stream sinuosity. These measurements are used in designing and obtaining a permit for a stream restoration.

On the final day of the workshop, attendees helped to install some stream restoration techniques on Watt Bradshaw’s farm near Mauzy, VA. Restoration techniques that were installed included root wads, cedar tree revetments, biologs, matting on the bank, planting seed, trees and shrubs in the disturbed area. As you can see from the pre-restoration photo of the site the stream bank in the restoration area was nearly vertical and was prone to sloughing and washing into the creek. This vertical bank also provided little or no habitat value to fish and other aquatic species. Through the use of the above stream restoration techniques, workshop participants helped to stabilize the stream bank and provide additional habitat for aquatic organisms.