Warm Springs Creek

In the winter of 21/22 we started work on a great project in Warm Springs Creek. We partnered with Trout Unlimited to provide ecological restoration lessons to school groups and many volunteer opportunities for the community.

The initial conditions of the site were not very charismatic, it appeared to be little more than a highway runoff swale filled with sediment. It was easy to imagine some changes that would create really great habitat improvements. We laid out survey stakes to begin to identify the current course of water and to shape a more sinuous course for our channel as we moved forward.

When the students arrived we got to work! We used willow “live stakes” to pin the coir logs in place and then dug a stream channel into the sediment, the coir acts like a filter to the sediment holding the shape but letting water run through the system. The willow sticks will grows roots and shoots over time and will stabilize the bank while providing shade to the waterway. We then spread native seeds from milkweed and cattails to colonize the newly excavated earth with beneficial plants and discourage weeds from establishing there.

The final product for stage one of the project! We still need to add more biologs to complete the channel but it’s a great start!

Update

The second student group planted tree saplings, dug the channel wider and deeper, planted cattails to aid in stabilizing the biologs and create a filter for when the channel is overtopped with spring runoff.

Nearly complete channel and bank. A big Thank You to Trout Unlimited for letting us partner on this project and giving the students such great hands-on experiences.

Update 2

We got the last of the biologs in from backorder and I was able to install them to finish the channel. Stage 1 of the project is officially complete!