A Soil Bioengineering Guide - Chapter5 - Soil Bioengineering Techniques

7/22/2019 A Soil Bioengineering Guide - Chapter5 - Soil Bioengineering Techniques

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CHAPTER 5Soil Bioen gin eerin gTech n iq u es

Soil bi oengineeri ng i s an appl ied science that combines the use of engineeri ng design pr incipl es

w it h biological and ecological concepts to construct and assure the survi val of li vi ng plan t

commun it ies that w il l nat urall y cont rol erosion and flooding. Hort icult ur al pr incipl es are applied

to establish t he plant communit ies. Engineeri ng design pr inciples are applied to build stru ctu res

that w ill help protect t he communit ies as they grow to maturi ty and function as they w ould in

their nat ural sett ings.


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A SOIL BI OENGINEERIN G GUIDE

76

Orig ina l ly the m eadow s in the a rea were we l l wa te red by

m ean der ing s t ream s wh ose courses w ere o f t en concea led

by ran k vege t a t ion . The s t ream s r an through f requent

deep pools covered w i th l ily pads , an d in the spr ing w a te r

s tood over prac t ic a l ly the en t i re a rea o f m any o f the

m e a d o w s , w h i le t h e w a t e r t a b le w a s h i g h , e ve n in t h e

s u m m e r, b e ca u s e t h e d r a in a g e c h a n n e l s w e r e s h a l lo w .

This abun dan ce o f w a te r produced an exce llen t c rop o f

forage or hay , an d the count ry w as prosperous .

The fi r s t road w as bu i l t in the Las t Ch an ce count ry in the

1860s an d stock paten ts w ere le t . By 1934, n o such

m e a d o w e x i s t s in t h e La s t C h a n c e a r e a a n d , i n s t ea d o f

m e a n d e r in g s t r e a m s w i t h w e l l v eg e t a t e d c o u rs e s , b a r e

gul lie s w i th cav ing ban ks cu t s t r a igh t a c ross prac t ica l ly

every m eadow . The resu lt [w as] tha t ins tead o f w a te r

be ing d is t r ibu ted to the so i l f rom m eand ers and pool[s]

t h r o u gh o u t t h e s u m m e r it r u n s o f f r a p i d ly w h e n s n o w

m e l t s a n d l e a v es t h e m e a d o w w i t h w a t e r t a b l es a s m u c has 15 fee t lower tha n they form er ly w ere .

Th e e m p h a s i s on e c o s y s t em m a n a g e m e n t , o n i m p r o vi n g

fi s h e r i es , a n d o n h e a l t h y w a t e r s h e d s h a s r e n ew e d i n t e r es t

in e ros ion cont ro l in th e form of so i l b ioeng ineer ing .

HistoryThe u se of b ioen gineer ing pr inciples in t he Forest Service

da tes back severa l decad es . In the ear ly 1900s i t w as

called erosion cont rol ; soil b ioengineer ing is i t s re lat ively

new na m e .The Fores t Serv ice wa s us ing th ese pr inc ip les

in 1934, an d probab ly ear l ie r, w hen t rees , b rush , l ive

f a s c in e , b r us h l a y er in g , a n d r o ck w e r e u s e d t o s t o p

erosion.

The Erosion Con trol Progress Report , by John E. Hughes,

Junior Forester , Plum as Nat iona l Forest , Milford Ranger

Distr ic t , 1934, descr ibes in deta i l the 17 projects , including

h o u r s a n d c o s t s , t h a t w e re u n d e r t a ke n t h a t y e a r. Th e

report s t a t es tha t , Eros ion con t ro l s t ruc tures should be

cons idered on ly as t em porary exped ient s t o h old the so i l

in p lace unt i l vege t a t ion can becom e es t ab l ished a nd

sta bil ize a [ban k] perm an ent ly .

A h is tory o f the a rea an d the cau ses o f the problem s aredesc r ibed as w e l l. The once resp lendent m eadow s w ere

l o st t o o v e rg ra z i n g , t r a m p l in g , a n d m e a d o w r o a d s . Th e

w a t e r t a b le s h a d d r o pp e d a s m u c h a s 1 5 f t , a l l ow i n g f o r

invas ion by d ry land p lan t spec ies .

H u gh e s n o t e d , S o m e l o c a l m e a d o w o w n e r s h a v e c a r ri ed

on e ros ion con t ro l for as m uch a s [20] year s pa s t . The a reas

w h e r e t h is w o r k h a s b e e n d o n e s h o w s t r ik in g l y w h a t c a n

be accom pl ished by checking e ros ion a nd in res tor ing

m eadow vege t a t ion through cont ro l .


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Bank StabilizationSoi l bioeng ineer ing i s an appl ied sc ience tha t com bines

s t ruc tura l , b io log ica l , an d ecolog ica l concept s t o cons t ruc t

l iving st ructures (plant com m unit ies) for erosion, sedim ent ,

an d fl ood cont ro l . Al though so i l b ioeng ineer ing im pl ies

tha t th is t ype o f w ork is an eng ineer ing fea t , i t is not . I t

i s m o re hor t icu l tura l . I t is about shepherd ing cu t t ings ,

r o o te d a n d t r a n s p l a n t e d s t o c k, a n d s e e d li n g s t h r ou g h t h e

p r oc e s s o f h a r v e s t in g , s t o ra g e , n u r s e ry g ro w i n g , p la n t i n g ,

an d surv iva l .The goa l i s p lan t g rowth an d ban k s t ab i li t y.

The appl ica t ion o f eng ineer ing an d eng ineer ing sc ience

shou ld be reserved for calculat ions a nd design of s t ructures,

such a s log reve tm ents a nd c r ibwa l ls . So i l b ioeng ineer ing

i s n o t a m e t h o d t h a t i m p o s e s m a n m a d e s t r u ct u r es o n

the s i t e a t the expense o f ex is t ing na t ive p lan t m ate r ia ls .

In tended to com pl im ent n a ture , i t i s a co l lec t ion o f m ethods

tha t speed up the recovery process by rees t ab l ish ing

na t ive p lan t com m uni t ies an d s t ab i l iz ing banks a f t e r

s t ruc tures (tha t i s , log reve tm ents a nd coconut logs) haved e c o m p o s e d . It i s i m p o r t a n t t o w o r k in c o n c e r t w i t h

n a t u r e .

The t echniq ues show n in th is chap te r a re cur rent ly in

use by the Fores t Serv ice , o ther agenc ies , conserva t ion

o r ga n i z a t i o n s , a n d b u s in e s s e s t o s t a b il iz e s t r e a m b a n k s

an d lakeshores . Most o f the t echniques can be used on

s t re a m b a n k s a n d la k es h o re s , a n d a f ew , a s n o t ed , a r e

spec ifi c to l akeshores .

Care fu l p lan ning a nd inves t iga t ion by a n in te rd isc ip l ina ry

t e a m a n d k n o w l e d g e of t h e c a u s e o f t h e p r o bl em a r eim pera t ive for success . Da t a should be co llected an d

assessed pr ior t o exploring the use o f a ny pa r t icu lar s t ab i-

l iz a t i o n t e ch n i q u e . If o n e ca n n o t fi x w h a t i s c a u s in g a n d

cont r ibu t ing to the prob lem , there should be no a t t em pt

to t rea t the un s t ab le ban k .The projec t w i ll f a i l .

SOIL BIOENGINEERING TECHNIQUES

Many o f the t echniq ues can be used toge th er. For exam ple,

a t oe m ight be s t ab i li zed us ing a t ree reve tm en t , w i th l ive

s t akes an d l ive pos t s ins t a l led on th e bank behind i t . In

an other ins t an ce , a coconut log or live f asc ine could be

u s e d a t t h e t o e , w i t h a b r u s h m a t t r es s i n s t a ll ed a b o v e t o

cover the ba nk . Where ava i lab le , rock could be used to

s t ab i l ize th e toe .

The Sta bil iza t ion Techn iques a nd Applicat ions Cha r t

tha t fo l low s present s a l l o f the t echniques a nd uses in a

m a t r ix f o rm a t . Re a d a l l t h e w a y d o w n a n d a c r o s s to

assess th e w ide var iet y o f choices .The t echniqu es a re

presented in a lphabe t ic a l order , w i th an explana t ion o f

each t echnique s pr im ary use and s t reng ths . Mater ia ls

an d d i rec t ions for f a br ica t ion a nd ins t a l l a t ion fo l low . The

p r es e n t a t i o n o f t h e m a t e ri a l a n d s o m e o f t h e t e xt w a s

bor rowed w i th perm iss ion f rom the NR CS Eng ineer ing

Field Han dbook, Cha pter 16.

Ecolog ica l subregions show n in re la t ion to n a t iona l

fores t s and g rass lands a re in a ppend ix D .The NRCS

Field Engineer ing Ha nd book, Cha pter 16, Plants for Soil

Bioengineeri ng and A ssociat ed Syst emsi s in append ix D .

References a lso include resources to resea rch plant

m ater ia ls appropr ia te for ce r t a in a reas .


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Bran

chPacki

ng


78

Aides natural regenerat ion colonization x x x x x x x x x x x x

Appropriate above and below OHW /bankfull x x x

Branches add tensile strength to the bank x x x x

Deflects strong or high flow s w hen placed close together x

Facilitates drainage on w et sites, dries excessively w et sites x x

Filter barrier to prevent erosion and scouring of the bank x x x x x x x x

Flexible, can be molded to exist ing contours x x x

Good on lakes w here w ater levels fluctuate x x

Helps establish sods and grasses x x

Immediate protect ive cover for the bank x x x

Instant habitat improvement

Lit t le site disturbance x x x x x x x

M aintains a natural bank appearance x x x x x x x x x

M anufactured in the field x x x x x x x x x x

M inimum site disturbance x x x x x

M aximum site disturbance during construct ion x x

Rapid reestablishment of riparian vegetat ion x x x x x x x x x

Protects banks from shallow slides x x x x x x x

Reduces a long beach w ash into shorter segments x x

Reduces slope length x x x x x x

Reduces surface erosion x x x x

Reduces toe erosion x x x x x x

Reduces w ind and w ater velocit ies hit t ing bank x x x

Retains moisture x x x

Roots stabilize banks x x x x x x x x

Survives fluctuat ing w ater levels x

Traps sediment x x x x x x x x x x x

Useful w here spaces is lim ited x x x x x x x

Lakes and shorelines x x x x x x x x x x x x

Bran

chPacki

ng

BrushLa

yerin

g

BrushM

attre

ss

CoconutF

iber

Log

Erosio

nCo

ntrolFa

bric

HayBa

leBre

akwa

ter

Joint P

lantin

g

Jute

-mat

Log

Live

Crib

wall

Live

Fas

cine

Live

Post

Live

Silt

atio

n

Stream Stabilization Techniques Chart

A p p l i c a t i o n sT

ech

niq

ues


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x x x x x x x x x x x

x x x

x x

x

x x

x x x x x x x

x x x

x x

x x x x

x x x

x x x

x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x

x x x x x x

x x

x x x x x x

x x

x x x x

x x x x

x x

x x x x x x x x x

x x x x

x x

x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x x x x

Live

Stake

LogBr

eakw

ater

Plant M

at

Plant R

oll

Root

Wad

Rooted

Sto

ck

Snow

Fen

ce

Terra

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Tree

and

Log

Revetm

ent

Tren

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Vegetate

dGe

ogrid

N o t e sBr

anch

Packi

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Applications and Effectiveness

Re p a ir s s lu m p s a n d h o l e s in s t r e a m b a n k s t h a t r a n g e

f ro m 2 t o 4 f t . i n h e ig h t a n d d e p t h a n d 4 f t . i n w i d t h

effect ively an d inexpen sively.

Retards runof f an d reduces sur face e ros ion an d scour

as p lan t t ops beg in to g row .

Estab l ishes a vege t a ted s t ream ban k r ap id ly .

Enh an ces cond i t ions for co lon iza t ion o f na t ive

vege t a t ion .

Provides im m edia te so i l r e in forcem ent .

Serves as tens ile inclusions for re inforcemen t once l ive

branches a re ins t a l led .

B r a n c h P a c k i n g

Bran ch packing is used to repa ir sm a l l, loca l ized s lum ps

an d holes in s t ream ban ks . It cons is t s o f a l t e rna t ing layers

of live b ranches an d com pa c ted backfi l l. B ran ches t rap

sed im en t tha t refi l l s the loca l ized s lum p or hole, w hi le

root s spread th roughout the backfi l l an d in to the

s u r ro u n d i n g e a r th t o f o r m a u n i fi e d m a s s .

Baseflow

Streambed

Live Cuttings" - 2" Diameter

Compacted Fill

Rootwad

Live Stakes: Shouldextend to dry seasonwater level

Existing vegetation,plantings, or soilbioengineering

techniques

OHW,or Bankfull

1'-11/2' 1'-11/2'

1/2

Note: Rooted, leafed conditionof plant material isnot representative ofthe time of installation

Dry Season Water Level

BRANCH PACKING(Not to scale)

Techniques and Applications


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81

Construction Guidelines

Live material

Live branches sh ould be f rom 0 .5 to 2 in . in d iam eter, an d

long enough to tou ch the un d is turbed so il o f the back o f

the s lum p and extend s l igh t ly f rom the rebui lt s t ream ban k.

Inert material

Wooden s t a kes should be 5 to 8 f t . long , depend ing on the

depth o f the pa r t icu lar s lum p or hole be ing repa ired , an d

m ade f rom poles tha t a re ei ther 3 to 4 in . in d iam eter or

2- by 4-f t . lum ber . Live pos t s c an be subs t i tu ted .

Instal lat ion

Dig ou t the bot tom a t or be low the s t ream or lake bed .

P lace a l ayer o f rock and /or root wa d in com bina t ion on

t h e b o t t o m . C o ve r w i t h 2 t o 4 i n . o f s o i l.

S tar t a t th e low es t poin t o f the s lum p or hole , d r ive the

poles ver t ic a l ly 3 to 4 f t . in to the g round . Se t them 1 to

1 .5 f t . apa r t . Place an init ia l layer of l iving bran ches 4- to 6-in. thick

in the bot tom of the hole be tween th e vert ic a l s t akes

an d perpend icular to the slope fa ce (see i l lustra t ion).

P lace them in a c r issc ross confi gura t ion w i th the

grow ing t ips orien ted towa rd the s lope f ace .The basa l

ends o f the b ranches sh ould touch the und is turbed so i l

a t th e back o f the hole .

Fol low each layer o f b ran ches w i th a l ayer o f com pa c ted

soi l t o ensure so i l cont a c t w i th the b ranch es . Wet the

soil .

Ins t a l l subsequen t l ayers o f b ran ches w i th the basa l

ends lower than the g rowing t ips o f the b ranches . Conform to th e ex is t ing s lope. At fin a l ins t a l l a t ion

branches should pro t rude on ly s l igh t ly.

Key in th is t echniqu e to the bank or end a t a n ex is t ing

tree or rock outcrop.

Cont ro l or d ivert w a te r i f t he or ig ina l s t ream ban k

d a m a g e w a s c a u s e d by w a t e r fl o w i n g ov e r t h e b a n k .

I f th is is not done , i t i s like ly th a t e ros ion w i ll occur on

e i ther or both s ides o f the n ew bran ch packing

ins t a l l a t ion .

Live branches installed in crisscross configuration.

Each layer of branches is followed by a layer of compact ed soil.

A grow ing branch packing system.

RobbinB.

Sotir&Associates,In

c.

RobbinB.

Sotir&Associates,Inc.

RobbinB.

Sotir&Associates,

Inc.


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82

B r u s h L a y er i n g

Brush layer ing i s the t echn ique o f l ay ing cu t t ings on

hor izont a l benches tha t fo l low the contour o f e i ther an

exist ing or fi l led bank (slope). Branch es serve as ten sile

inclusions or ear th -reinforcing units to provide sha llow

sta bil ity of s lopes.

The cut t ings a re or iented m ore or less perpend icular to

the s lope f ace . The por t ion o f th e b rush tha t pro t rudes

f rom th e s lope f ace ass is t s in re t a rd ing runof f an d

reduc ing sur face e ros ion . When used on a fi l l s lope, th is

t echnique is s im i la r t o vege t a ted geogr ids w i thout th e

geotext i le fabr ic .


Breaks up th e s lope leng th in to a s e r ies o f shor te r

s lopes separa ted by rows o f b rush layer .

Dries excessively w et s i tes .

Works wh ere the toe i s not d is turbed .

Wo r ks o n a s l u m p a n d a s a p a t c h .

Reinforces the so i l w i th th e unrooted branch s tem s .

BaseflowStreambed

Live Cuttings1/2" - 2" Diameter

Compacted FillMaterial

Existing vegetation,plantings, or soilbioengineering techniques

OHW,or Bankfull

Note: Rooted, leafed conditionof plant material is notrepresentative of the time

of installation

Dry Season Water Level

Reinforces the so i l as root s develop , ad d ing s ign ifican t

res is t an ce to s l id ing or shea r d isp lacem ent .

Traps debris on the slope.

Aids infi l t ra t ion on d ry s i t e s .

Adjus t s the s i t e s m ic roc l im ate , a id ing seed

germ ina t ion and na tura l regenera t ion .

M a y c a u s e fl o w t o w a s h s o i l f ro m b e t w e e n l a y er s .

Does not wo rk on ou t s ide bends .


Brush layer ing can be ins t a l led on a n ex is t ing or fi l led

s lope. On an ex is t ing s lope , a bench is cu t 2- to 3-f t . deep

an d an g led s l igh t ly down in to the s lope. On a fi l l s lope ,

b rush layers a re la id in to th e bank a s i t i s fi l led .

Live material

Bran ch cu t t ings should be 0 .5 to 2 in . in d iam eter and

long enough to reach the back o f the bench an d s t i l l

pro t rude from th e bank .

S ide branches should rem a in in t ac t .

Mix easy- to-root spec ies such as w i l low , dogw ood , an d

poplar .

BRUSH LAYERING: FILL METHOD(Not to scale)


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Instal lat ion

Begin above the ord inary h igh-wa te r m a rk or ban kfu ll

level.

Begin a t the bot tom of the s lope and w ork up the bank .

On a cut bank :

Excava te 2- to 3-f t . w ide hor izont a l benches on the

contour .

S lope the bench so th a t th e ou t s ide edge is h igher than

the ins ide .

Arran ge l ive b ranch cu t t ings on the bench in a

c r issc ross or over lapping confi gura t ion .

Arrang e 20 to 25 bran ches per ya rd .

Exten d 1/4 of the cut t ing s length beyond the s lope face .

C o m p a c t 2 t o 4 in . o f s o il a r o u n d t h e c u t t in g s , t h e n fi l l

the rem a inder o f the t rench .

Backfi l l each low er bench w i th the so i l ob t a ined f rom

excava t ing the bench above .

Place long s t r aw or s im i la r m ulch ing m ate r ia l w i thseed ing be tween rows on 3:1 or fla t t e r s lopes , w hi le

p lac ing m ulch or a n e ros ion cont ro l f abr ic on s lopes

steep er th a n 3:1 (Gray 1996). (This is o ption a l.)

Cont ro l or d ivert w a te r t o prevent exposed so i l f rom

b e in g w a s h e d a w a y i f t h e o ri gi n a l s t re a m b a n k d a m a g e

w a s c a u s e d b y w a t e r fl o w i n g o v e r t h e b a n k . Ot h e r w i s e,

erosion is l ikely to occur on t he slope before vegeta t ion

can pro tec t it .

On fill bank:

Bui ld layer s un t i l the des i red he igh t i s reached .

Ins t a l l b ran ches fo l low ing ins t ruc t ions for th e cu t ban k .


BRUSH LAYERING: PLAN VIEW(Not to scale)

Brush Layering Installat ion Guidelines

Brush layer rows should vary from 3 to 5 ft. apart, depending upon the

location along the st ream, the slope angle, and overall stability.

Slope distance

betw een benches M aximum

Slope Wet slopes Dry slopes slope length

(ft .) (f t .) (ft .)

2:1 to 2.5:1 3 3 15

2.5:1 to 3:1 3 4 15

3.5:1 to 4:1 4 5 20

Robbin B . Sot i r &Assoc ia tes , Inc .

Brush layering w ith coconut logs.USDAForestService


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84

Construction guidelines

Live materials

Use branches th a t a re 6- to 9-f t . long (the h e igh t o f the

ban k to be covered), w i th 8 to 12 in . to be anchored a t

t h e t o e , a n d a p p r ox i m a t e l y 1i n . i n d i a m e t e r. M u lt i pl espec ies can be used .

Use cu t t ings tha t a re flexible enough to con form to

var ia t ions in the s lope f ace .

Inert materials

Use ju te tw ine for bund l ing the l ive f asc ines a nd t y ing

d o w n t h e b ra n c h m a t t r e s s.

Use dead s tou t s t a kes to secure the l ive f asc ines an d

brush m at t ress in p lace . Make dead s tou t s t akes f rom

2.5- to 4-f t . long , unt rea ted , 2-f t . by 4-in . sound lum ber.

Cut each leng th d iagon a l ly ac ross the 4-in f ace to m ake

t w o s t a k e s . U s e on l y n ew , s o u n d l u m b e r. D i sc a r d a n y

s t a k e s t h a t s h a t t e r u p o n i n s t a l l a t io n .

B r u s h M a t t r e ss

A brush m at t ress i s a l ayer o f dorm an t b ranches la id on

a n d s e cu r ed t o a b a n k s u r f a c e. It o f f e rs i m m e d ia t e b a n k

coverage . This t echn ique i s a l so e f fec t ive on lakeshores .

Typica l ly , i t i s com bined w i th a t oe s t ab i l i z ing t echn iques u c h a s r o c k, r o o t w a d s , l iv e s il t a t io n , f a s c in e s , c o co n u t

fi b e r l o gs , o r t re e r ev e t m e n t s . In t h i s e x a m p l e , a f a s c in e

w i ll b e u s ed w i t h t h e m a t t r e ss .


Works we l l on s t eep f as t -flow ing s t ream s .

Restores ripar ian vege t a t ion an d s t ream side hab i t a t

rapidly .

Requires good so i l t o s t em conta c t . I t w i l l no t g row i f a l l

o f i t s b r anches a re exposed .

Allow s ins t a l l a t ion in com bina t ion w i th l ive s t akes and

rooted s tock on the ban k .

Form s an im m edia te , pro tect ive cover over the

s t r e a m b a n k .

Captures sed im ent dur ing flood cond i t ions .


vege t a t ion .

OHW, or Bankfull

Baseflow

DeadStakes:Min. length2 1/2'

LiveStakes

BranchCuttings

UntreatedTwine Secured toStakes

FascineBundle

Streambed

Note: Rooted and leafed condition ofthe living plant material is not representativeat the time of planting

BRUSH MATTRESS(Not to scale)


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Instal lat ion

Grade the uns t a b le a rea o f the s t ream ban k to it s an g le

of repose , an d decom pa c t the s lope, i f necessary .

Prepare l ive s t akes a nd l ive f asc ines im m edia te ly be fore


Apply jus t a bove ord inary h igh-w ate r m ark or ban kfu ll

level.

Excava te a t rench on th e contour la rge enough to

a c c o m m o d a t e a l iv e f a s c in e a n d t h e b a s a l en d s o f t h e

m at t ress cu t t ings . (Typica l ly , a sh ove l deep an d a shove l

w ide .)

Ensure tha t bas a l (cu t ) ends a re in so i l tha t w i ll r et a in

m ois ture throughout the g row ing season .

Ins t a l l an even m ix o f l ive and dea d s tou t s t akes a t a

1-f t . dep th over the f ace o f the s lope us ing 2-f t . squa re

spac ing . Live s t akes need to be ins t a l led deeply enough

to reach th e dry seas on w at er table (see Live Stakes).

Place bran ches sl ight ly cr isscrossed in a layer 4- to 6-in.

th ick on th e s lope w i th basa l ends loca ted in th e t rench . S t ret ch tw ine d iagona l ly f rom one dead s tou t s t a ke to

a n o t h e r b y t i g h t ly w r a p p in g t w i n e a r o u n d e a c h s t a k e

no c loser than 6 in f rom i t s t op .

Tam p an d d r ive the l ive and d ead s tou t s t akes in to the

ground un t i l b ran ches a re t igh t ly secured to th e s lope .

U s e a d e a d b l o w h a m m e r o n t h e li ve s t a k e s.

Place a l ive f asc ine in the t rench over the basa l ends o f

t h e m a t t r e s s b ra n c h e s .

Dr ive dead s tou t s t a kes d i rec t ly in to the l ive f asc ine

every 2 f t . a long i t s leng th .

Fi ll vo ids be tween branches w i th a l ayer o f so i l t o

prom ote root ing .Wet the surface to wa sh so i l dow n in

be tween th e b ran ches . Leave the top sur face o f the

brush m at t ress an d l ive f asc ine s l igh t ly exposed .

Add a l ive f asc ine jus t above the m at t ress t o h e lp b reak

up shee t runof f tha t m ay und erm ine the ban k . (This i s

op t iona l . )

Brush m attress installation.

An installed brush matt ress system.

Brush mat tress w ith live siltation at Kenai River, AK.


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Protec t s s lopes f rom sha l low s l ides or und erm ining .

Molds to ex is t ing curva ture o f the s t ream ban k.

Traps sed im ent in an d behind the ro l l.

Produces a w e l l-re in forced toe w i thout m uch s i t ed is turbance .

Las t s a n es t im a ted 6 to 10 year s , accord ing to

m an ufac turer s c la im s .


Inert materials

Coconut logs (Coir ).

U n t r ea t e d t w i n e.

Cab le and duckb il l anchors .

5/16 in ca ble an d ca ble clips.

Dead s tou t s t a kes . Make dead s tou t s t a kes f rom 2 .5- to

4-f t . long , sound , unt rea ted 2- by 4-in . lum ber . Cut each

leng th d iagona l ly ac ross the 4-in . f ace to m a ke two

s t a k e s . U s e o n l y s o u n d l u m b e r . D i s c a rd a n y s t a k e s t h a t

sha t t e r upon ins t a l l a t ion .

C o c o n u t F ib e r R o l l

A coconu t fi ber roll (Coir log) is used t o protect a ban ks

toe an d to defi ne an edge . I t is a cy l indr ica l s t ruc ture

com posed o f coconut husk fibers bound toge ther w i th

tw ine woven f rom coconut fi ber. This produc t is m os t

c o m m o n l y m a n u f a c t u re d i n 12 in . d i a m e t e r s a n d l e n g t h sof 20 f t . However, purcha ses o f pre fabr ica ted ro l l s c an be

expens ive. Use s t akes or duckb il ls t o a nchor i t in p lace a t

the toe o f the s lope , genera l ly a t th e ord inary h igh-wa te r

m ark or ban kfull level.

COCONUT FIBER ROLL(Not to scale)


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These three photographs show c oconut fib er log placed in three different

sect ions of Chicken Creek, La Grande RD, W allowa-W hitm an NF.

Fence keeps cattle out. Coconut fiber log helps prevent further erosion at

edge of creek.

Coconut fiber log at bend in creek, protecting the toe of the bank. This log

w as placed into and across the creek to help create a pool for fish habitat.

Coconut fiber log arresting bank toe erosion and becoming part of the bank.

Instal lat ion

Excava te a s ha l low t rench a t the toe o f the s lope to a

depth s l igh t ly be low chan ne l g rad e .

Place th e coconut fi ber ro l l in the t rench .

Dr ive dead s tou t s t akes be tween th e b ind ing tw ine

an d coconut fiber . S t akes should be p laced on both

sides of th e roll on 2- to 4-f t . centers depen ding upo n

an t ic ipa ted ve loci t ie s . Tops o f s t akes sh ould not ex tend

above the top o f the fi ber ro l l.

Notch th e ou t s ide o f s t akes on e i ther s ide o f the fiber

ro ll and secure w i th 16-gauge w ire in a reas tha t

experience ice or wa ve ac t ion . Cab le w i th d uckbi ll

an chors m a y a lso be used in these s i tua t ions .

Backfi ll soil behind th e fiber roll .

Ins t a l l rooted herbaceous p lan t s in the coconut fi ber if

cond i t ions perm it (p lan t s w i ll no t eas i ly wa sh aw ay).

Ins t a l l add i t iona l b ioeng ineer ing t echniques ups lope

of the fi ber roll .


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Instal lat ion

Ins t a l l the fiber ro ll o f f shore a t a d is t a nce w here the top

of the fi ber ro l l i s exposed a t low t ide . In nont ida l a reas ,

the fi ber ro l l should be p laced w here i t w i l l no t be

overtopped by wa ve ac t ion .

Dr ive dead s tou t s t a kes be tween th e b ind ing tw ine andthe coconut fi ber. S t akes should be p laced on 4-f t .

cen te r s and sh ould not ex tend a bove the fiber ro l l.

Secure w i th s t ee l c ab le an d duckb i ll anchors in a reas

tha t exper ience ice or wa ve ac t ion .

Ins t a l l rooted cu t t ings be tw een the coconut fiber ro l l

an d the shore l ine , i f des ired .

Backfi l l so il behind the fi ber ro l l if p laced aga ins t the

b a n k .

Ins t a l l rooted herbaceous p lan t s in the coconut fi ber if

the ro l l is m ois t .

Ins t a l l appropr ia te b ioeng ineer ing t echniques ups lope

f rom th e fiber ro l l.

Lakeshore Construc tion Guidelines

A coconut fiber ro ll c an func t ion as a b reakwa te r a long

a c a l m s h a l l ow l a ke s h o re . In a d d i t io n t o r ed u c in g w a v e

energy, th is produc t c an he lp cont a in subs t r a te and

encourage deve lopm ent o f w e t land com m uni t ies .

App lications an d Effectiveness

Protect s the shore l ine an d encourages new vege t a t ion .

Ef fec t ive in lake areas w here the w a te r level fluc tua tes .

Molds to the curva tu re o f the sh ore line .

Las t s a n es t im a ted 6 to 10 year s , accord ing to

m anufac turer s c la im s .

COCONUT FIBER ROLL: LAKESHORE(Not to scale)


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Coconut fiber roll forming a small

breakw ater.


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Effectiveness

Breaks w aves be fore they reach th e shore l ine .

Breaks the fe t ch . Do not use w here ice scour i s a know nprob lem .

Las t s a t leas t 5 year s .

Form s a na tura l seedbed as sed im ent se t t le s be tween

t h e b r ea k w a t e r a n d t h e s h o r e .

Protects archeological s i tes inexpensively because of

m in im a l s i t e d is turbance .

Provides an inexpens ive m eth od i f hay i s loca l ly g rown .


Inert material

Use cy l indr ica l cu l t iva ted or n a t ive hay ba les , 5-f t . in

d i a m e t e r a n d 7 -f t . l o n g. D o n o t u s e s t ra w b a l e s.

Wrap ba les w i th hem p ne t t ing .

Li f t the ba les w i th a c r an e or use an excava tor t o push

t h e m i n t o t h e w a t e r.

H a y B a le B r ea k w a t e r

Cyl indr ica l hay ba les , l ined up pa ra l le l t o the shore , a re

used in reservoir s and la kes to b reak w ave ac t ion an dto prom ote vege t a t ive recovery o f the shore l ine . These

cul t iva ted or na t ive hay ba les we igh 1 ,800 lb wh en d ry

an d a pproxim ate ly 2 ,500 lb w hen w e t . They a re 5-f t . in

d i a m e t e r a n d 7-f t . l o n g. D o n o t u s e s t r a w .


Appl icat ions

Used w here the fet ch i s grea te r than 2 m i . long .

Used pa ra l le l t o sh ore lines to b reak up fe t ch-caused

w aves . Up to 1 ,000 f t . o f shore l ine can be pro tec ted w i th

one long row o f h ay ba les .

Used in com bina t ion w i th b ioeng ineer ing t echniques

on shore .

HAY BALE BREAKWATER(Not to scale)


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Instal lat ion

Wrap th e ba les in hem p ne t t ing . This ex tends th e ir

useful l ives.

Li f t ba les in to p lace w i th a c r an e or excava tor . Be sure

cond i t ions a re sa fe for use o f spec ific m achinery.

Del iver by us ing a ba rge and p lace w i th a w inch i f

desired .

Place pa ra l le l t o th e sh ore.

Place in wa te r a t a dep th w here ha l f the ba le, 2 .5 f t . , i s

be low the w a te r l ine , be tween 5- to 25-f t . f rom shore .

Place ba les end to end so th ey touch .

Leave the ends o f the b reakwa te r open so wa te r c an

w ash in a nd depos i t sed im en t and s i l t . (See de t a i l . )

D e co m p a c t t h e s o i l w h e r e h e a v y e q u ip m e n t w a s u s e d .

Use tw o para l le l rows in rough a reas . The one c loses t t o

the shore becom es s i l t ed in an d is the new shore l ine .

The o ther cont inues to a c t as a b reakwa te r.

Ins t a l l so il b ioeng ineer ing t echniq ues on t he sh ore and

in the wa te r.

Placing hay bales on a barge on Lake Sharpe, SD, an Army Corps of

Engineers-operated reservoir and recreation facility.

Bales delivered by barge in 2.5 ft of w ater.

Bales in place to break w aves protect ing the shoreline.


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Live material

The l ive s t akes m ust ha ve s ide b ran ches rem oved an d

bark in t ac t . They sh ould be 1.5 in . or l a rger in d iam eter

an d long enough to ex tend we l l in to the so i l , r each ingin to the d ry season w a te r leve l.

Instal lat ion

Tam p l ive s t akes in to the open ings be tw een th e rocks

dur ing or a f t e r p lacem ent o f r iprap . The ba sa l (cu t ) ends

of the cu t t ings m ust ex tend in to the backfi l l or

und is turbed so i l behind the r iprap .

Prepare a hole through th e r iprap us ing a s t ee l rod or

w at er jet s t inger (Hoag, et a l . 2001).

Allow grow ing t ips to protrude sl ight ly above th e rock.

P la c e t h e s t a k e s i n a r a n d o m c o n fi g u r a t io n .

J o i n t P la n t i n g

Jo in t p lan t ing d isgu ises r iprap a nd m ay provide hab i t a t .

The p lan t root s h e lp hold so i l t oge ther under the rocks . I t

involves t am ping l ive s t akes in to jo in t s or open spa ces

be tween ex is t ing rocks or w hen rock is be ing p laced o nthe s lope f ace .


Useful w here rock r iprap is requ ired or alread y in place .

Successful 30 to 50 percent of th e t im e. First year

irr igat ion improves survival rates .

Im proves d ra inage by rem oving so i l m ois ture .

Crea tes , over t im e , a l iv ing root m a t in the so il base

upon w hich the rock has been p laced . These root

sys tem s b ind or re in force the so i l an d prevent w ash out

o f fi n e s b e t w e e n a n d b e lo w t h e r o ck .

Provides im m edia te pro tec t ion an d is e f fec t ive in

reduc ing e ros ion on ac t ive ly e rod ing ba nks .

Diss ipa tes som e of the energy dur ing a fl ood s t age .

JOINT PLANTING(Not to scale)


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An installed joint planting syst em.

Three-year-old joint planting in

Vermont. Can you spot the person

on the shore?


RobbinB.Sotir&Associates,

Inc.

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J u t e - m a t L o g

Make your own coconut fi ber log . This log can re in force a

s t ream ban k w i thout m uch s i t e d is turbance . Each log i s 1

t o 2 f t . i n d ia m e t e r a n d m a d e o u t o f co c o n u t fi b e r m a t o r

ju t e , s t ra w , a n d l en g t h s o f b ra n c h c u t t in g s . Lo g s a r e p l a c ed

a long th e banks to provide a rm or ing . They can vary in

leng th f rom a few fee t up to 100 f t .


Appl icat ions

Make in th e fie ld to m ee t on-s it e needs .

Apply a t ord ina ry h igh-wat e r m a rk or bankfu l l leve l.

S tack to cover m ore ban k ; on sm al le r s t ream s a s ing le

s t r a n d m a y s u f fi c e .

S t r ing toge ther a long th e banks , overlapping the logs

an d m old ing them to the ex is t ing curva ture o f the

s t r e a m b a n k .

P la n t w i t h ro o t e d s t oc k, s e d g es , a n d s o o n b e t w e e n t h e

l o g a n d t h e b a n k .

Effectiveness

Arm ors ba nk toe e f fec t ive ly wh i le p lan t s t ake root .

Protect s s lopes f rom sha l low s l ides or underm ining

w hi le t r apping sed im ent tha t encourages plan t g rowth

w i t h in a n d b e h i n d t h e l o g .

Reta ins m ois ture in log , w hich a ids veget a t ive g row th .

Provides an inexpens ive m ethod .


Live materials

Col lec t s t r a igh t b ran ch cu t t ings , 0 .5 to 1 in . in d iam eteran d 4- to 7-f t . long , f rom dec iduous species , such as

w i ll ow , d o g w o o d , a n d c o t t on w o o d , w h i ch ea s i ly r o ot

f rom cu t t ings .

Use l ive sta kes.

Constructing log using jute mat and straw w ith w illow and red osier

dogw ood cut tings. Republic RD, Colville NF.

Construct ing log using jute mat and hay wit h cutti ngs. Republic RD,

Colville NF.

Note that t he far end of this jute mat log is secured by rock, and the near

end by a log. N orth Fork of OBrien Creek, Republic RD, Colville NF.

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Logs in p lace. Nort h Fork of OBrien Creek, Republic RD, Colville NF.

Logs stacked to form toe and low er bank. North Fork of OBrien Creek,

Republic RD, Colville NF.


Inert materials

S t r aw .

Unt rea ted tw ine to t ie the logs as they a re m a de .

Cab le and duckb il l anchors .

5/16 in. cable a nd cable c l ips.

Coconut/ju te-m at t o m ake the log i s so ld by the sq uare

foot in rolls 8-f t . w ide by u p to 1,000-ft . long. The 3/8- to

1/2-in . m esh h as been used success fu lly (tha t i s th e

opening be tween s t r an ds).

Use dead s tou t s t a kes to secure the log . Make dead

s tou t logs f rom 2 .5- to 4-f t . long , sound , unt rea ted , 2- by

4-in . lum ber . Cut each leng th d iagon a l ly ac ross the 4-in .

f a c e t o m a k e t w o s t a k e s . U s e o n ly n e w , s o u n d l u m b e r.

Discard any s t a kes tha t sha t t e r upon ins t a l l a t ion .

Instal lat ion

Cut the m a t t o the leng th requ ired for each segm en t

p lus 2 f t . I t w i l l be 8 f t . w ide .

La y t h e m a t fl a t a n d c o v e r w i t h a l a y e r o f s t ra w , l ea v i n g1 f t . o f m a t a t ea ch end (a long the 8-f t . edge) uncovered .

Place the cu t t ings leng thw ise a long one long edge, three

to four s t em s toge ther.

Fold the em pty edges inwa rd , a long the 8-f t . border,

over on to the s t r aw .

Rol l up the m at s t a r t ing a t the edge oppos i t e the cu t t ings .

Tie the rolls in several places to secure their sha pe. Use

loose coconut s t r ands f rom th e m a t t ing as t ie s or tw ine .

Place the log in pos i t ion on the s t ream ban k a t average

w a t e r h e ig h t w i t h t h e c u t t in g s a g a i n s t t h e b a n k .

S t a r t a t t h e d o w n s t r ea m e n d o f t h e s e c ti o n , p la c e t h e

firs t log an d over lap th e next one by 18 in . Over lap th enext log so tha t i t i s on the s t ream s ide o f the orig ina l

log . One long log sect ion (70- to 100-ft . ) is s t ron ger th an

several shor ter logs.

Secure the log with cable spaced every 2 to 2.5 f t . Wrap

the cab le a round the log an d secure i t by d r iv ing a

duckb il l in to the ba nk . Be sure the a nchor i s in fi rm so i l.

Dr ive l ive s t akes through t he log to he lp an chor i t and

t o a d d m o r e p la n t m a t e ri a l.

Use dead s tou t s t a kes , i f des ired , to anch or the log in

p lac id se t t ings .

Ke y in u p s t r ea m a n d d o w n s t re a m e n d s .

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Effectiveness

Com plex an d expens ive.

Ef fec t ive on ou t s ide bends o f s t ream s w here s t rong

cur rent s a re present .

Ef fec t ive in loca t ions w here an e rod ing ban k m a y

eventua l ly form a sp l i t cha nn e l .

Excellent ha bitat provider . Provides im m edia te pro tec t ion f rom eros ion a nd

long-term st abil i ty.


Live materials

Live bran ch cu t t ings should be 0.5 to 2.5 in . in d iam eter

an d long enough to reach the back o f the w ooden c r ib

structure .

Inert materials

Logs or unt rea ted t im bers should r ange f rom 4 to 6 in .

in d iam eter. Leng ths w i ll vary w i th th e s ize o f the c r ib

structure .

Large na ils or re inforcem ent ba rs are required to secure

the logs or t im bers toge ther.

Fill rock sho uld be 6 in. in d iam eter .

L iv e C r i b w a ll

A live cr ibw al l i s used to rebui ld a ban k in a near ly

ver t ical set t ing . I t consist s of a boxlike inter locking

ar r angem ent o f un t rea ted log or t im ber m em bers . The

s t ruc ture i s fi l led w i th rock a t the bot tom an d so i l

beg inn ing a t the ord inary h igh-wa te r m a rk or bankfu l l

level. Layers of l ive bran ch cut t in gs root inside th e cr ibs t ruc ture and ex tend in to the s lope . Once the l ive cu t t ings

root and becom e es t ab l i shed , vege t a t ion g radu a l ly t akes

over the s t ruc tura l func t ions o f the wood m em bers .


Appl icat ions

Appropria te a t the base o f a s lope wh ere a low w a l l m ay

be requ ired to s t a b i li ze the toe o f th e s lope and to

reduce i t s s t eepness .

Appropria te above an d be low th e w a te r leve l wh ere

s t ab le s t ream beds ex is t .

Use fu l where space i s lim i ted an d requ ires a m ore

vert ical s t ructure .

U s e fu l i n m a i n t a i n i n g a n a t u r a l s t re a m b a n k a p p e a r a n c e .

Use fu l for ef fec t ive bank e ros ion cont ro l on f a s t fl ow ing

s t r e a m s .

Tilt ba ck.

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Instal lat ion

Ex c a v a t e , s t a r t in g a t t h e b a s e o f t h e s t r e a m b a n k t o b e

t rea ted , 2- to 3-f t . be low the ex is t ing s t ream bed unt i l a

s t ab le founda t ion 5- to 6-f t . w ide i s reached .

Excava te th e back o f the s t ab le founda t ion c loses t t o

the s lope 6- to 12-in . lower tha n th e f ron t t o a dd

s t ab i l it y t o the s t ruc ture.

Place the fi r s t course o f logs or t im bers a t the f ron t a nd

back o f the excava ted found a t ion , approxim a te ly 4- to

5-f t . apa r t an d para l le l t o the s lope contour .

Place th e next course o f logs or t im bers a t r igh t a ng les

(perpend icular to th e slope) on t op of th e previous

course to overhan g the f ron t an d back o f the prev ious

course by 3 to 6 in. Each course of th e l ive cr ibwa ll is

p la c e d i n t h e s a m e m a n n e r a n d s e c ur ed t o t h e

preced ing course w i th na i ls or re in forcem ent bar s .

Place rock fi l l in th e openings in th e bot tom of the c r ib

s t ruc ture unt i l it r eaches th e approxim a te ex is t ing

e le va t i o n o f t h e s t re a m b e d . In s o m e c a s e s , i t is n e c e s -sary to p lace rocks in f ron t o f the s t ruc ture for added

toe support , e spec ia l ly in ou t s ide s t ream m ean ders .

An a l t e rna t ive to a rock toe m ay be a log reve tm ent .

Place th e fi r s t l ayer o f cu t t ings on top o f the rock

m a t e ri a l a t t h e b a s e fl o w w a t e r le ve l. C h a n g e t h e r o ck

fi l l t o so i l fi l l a t th is poin t . Ensure tha t the basa l ends o f

som e of the cu t t ings cont a c t und is turbed so il a t the

back o f the c r ibw al l .

Place l ive branch cu t t ings a t each course to the top o f

the c r ibw al l s t ructure w i th buds or ien ted tow ard the

s t ream . P lace the basa l ends o f the l ive b ran ch cu t t ings

so tha t they reach und is turbed so i l a t th e back o f thecr ibwa l l w i th g row ing t ips pro t rud ing s l igh t ly beyond

the f ron t . Cover the cu t t ings w i th backfi l l (so i l) an d

com pa c t . Wet each so i l layer .

Use an eng ineer ing ana lys is t o de te rm ine appropr ia te

d im en s ions for the sys tem . The l ive c ribwa l l s t ruc ture ,

inc lud ing the sec t ion be low th e s t ream bed , should not

exceed 7 f t . in h t .

Do not exceed 20 f t . in leng th for an y s ing le cons t ruc ted

uni t .

Live cribwall installation. Note live cuttings at bottom of photo and the next

layer of frame on top of them.

Established live cribw all; light-colored foliage at toe of bank.


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Chapter16

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Causes m in im a l s it e d is turban ce wh en properly

ins t a l led .

Offer s im m edia te pro tec t ion f rom sur face e ros ion . Enh an ces cond i t ions for co lon iza t ion o f na t ive

vege t a t ion by c rea t ing sur face s t ab i l iza t ion an d a

m ic roc l im ate cond uc ive to p lan t g row th .

Serves to f ac i li t a t e d ra inage w hen ins t a l led a t a n a ng le .

L iv e F a s c i n e / W a t t l e

A live f asc ine he lps cont ro l sur face e ros ion a nd root s

f rom th e sprouted f asc ine he lp s t ab i li ze the bank . Afasc ine i s a long bund le o f b r anch cu t t ings bound toge ther

in a cy l indr ica l s t ruc ture . I t should be p laced in a sha l low

c o n t o u r tr en c h o n a d r y s lo p e a n d a t a n a n g l e o n a w e t

s lope to reduce eros ion a nd s ha l low s l id ing .


Appl icat ions

Apply above ord inary h igh-w ate r m ark or ba nkfu l l leve l

except on very sm al l d r a inage a rea s i t e s .

U s e b et w e e n t h e h i g h - a n d l ow -w a t e r m a r ks o n t h e

ban k in a r id c l im ates .

Effectiveness

Traps an d holds so i l on a s t ream bank, reduc ing the

s lope leng th to a se r ies o f sh or te r s lopes by c rea t ing

sm al l da m -l ike s t ruc tures .

Protects s lopes from sha llow sl ides (1- to 2-f t . depth ).

Requires soil m oisture or regular precipitat ion d uring

the g rowing season to g row .

LIVE FASCINE(Not to scale)

Reddish-brown w illow st ems in foreground are from fascines.

M ad River, VT.

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Effectiveness Quickly reestablishes r ipar ian vegetat ion.

Enh an ces cond i t ions for co lon iza t ion o f na t ive spec ies .

Repair s it se l f . For exam ple, pos t s da m aged by beavers

of t en deve lop m ul t ip le s t em s .


Live materials

Live posts 7- to 20-f t . long a nd 3 to 5 in. in d iam eter .

Avoid over-ha rves t ing f rom one p lan t or a rea to m ain t a in

hea l thy , a t t r ac t ive s tock. Se lec t a p lan t spec ies appropr i-

a te t o the s i t e cond i t ions th a t w i ll root read i ly. Wil low s

an d poplar s have dem onst r a ted h igh success ra tes .

L ive Pos tLive pos t s form a perm eab le reve tm ent . They reduce

s t ream ve loc i t ie s and cause sed im en t depos i t ion in the

t rea ted a rea . The root s he lp to s t ab i l ize a bank . Dorm a nt

pos t s a re m ade o f l a rge cu t t ings ins t a l led in s t ream banks

in squa re or t r ian gular pa t t e rns . Unsuccess fu l ly rooted

pos t s a t spa c ings o f about 4 ft . c an a lso provide som e

b e n e fi t s b y d e fl e c t in g h i g h e r s t re a m fl o w s a n d t r a p p in g

s e d i m e n t .


Appl icat ions

Well-su i t ed to sm al le r non grave l s t ream s . I f h igh fl ow s

a n d i ce a r e a p r o bl em , t h e y c a n b e c u t lo w t o t h e

ground .

Used in com bina t ion w i th o ther so i l bioeng ineering

techniques .

Ins t a l led by a var ie t y o f m ethod s inc lud ing wa te r

jet t ing or m echan ized s t r ingers (Hoag , e t a l . 2001) to

form p la n t ing holes or by d r iv ing th e pos t s d i rec t ly w i th

m a c h i n e -m o u n t e d ra m s . P la c e a m e t a l c a p a t o p t h e

pos t w hen i t i s necessary to pound i t in to th e g round .

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Second-year growt h on silver cottonw ood live post visible in foreground

and background. Lewist on, ID.

Live post.

Live posts ring t his outside bend on t he M ad River, VT.

Instal lat ion

Taper the basa l end o f the pos t for eas ie r inser t ion in to

the g round .

Trim off a l l s ide bran ches a nd t he a pical bud (top).

Dip the ap ica l end in to a m ix ture o f equa l par t s wa te r

a n d l a t e x w h i t e pa i n t . Th i s w i ll m a r k w h i c h e n d g o e s

up an d w i ll he lp ret a in m ois ture in the pos t a f t e r


Ins t a l l pos t s in to th e e rod ing ban k a t or jus t above the

norm al wa te r line . Make sure pos t s a re ins t a l led w i th

buds poin t ing up .

Insert one-ha l f t o tw o-th irds o f the leng th o f t he pos t

be low the g round l ine . Severa l inches o f th e pos t should

be se t in to the d ry season w a te r leve l .

Extend pos t s 6 to 12 in a bove es t im ated w a te r he igh t i f

the a rea i s prone to seasona l s t and ing w a te r (30 days or

longer).

Avoid excess ive dam age to th e bark o f the pos t s .

Place tw o or m ore rows o f pos t s spaced 2- to 4-f t . apa r tus ing squa re or t r i angular spac ing .

Add com post t o ea ch hole be fore the pos t i s ins t a l led .

Apply on slopes of 1:1 or less .

Supplem en t the ins t a l l a t ion w i th o ther b ioeng ineer ing

techniques .


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Live materials

Col lec t l ive dec iduous m ate r ia l know n for i t s good

r o ot i n g s t ru c t u re , 1 t o 2 i n . i n d i a m e t e r a n d a m i n im u m

o f 3 -f t . l o n g , w i t h s i d e b ra n c h e s a t t a c h e d .

Use spec ies tha t c an to le r a te hav ing the ir feet w e t , such

a s w i ll ow s .

Instal lat ion

Dig (by ha nd or m achine) a v-sha ped t rench

a p p r o xi m a t e l y 2-f t . d e e p, o f a n y l en g t h . B e s u re t h eends o f th e t rench are t ied in to som eth ing so l id or

keyed in to the ba nk .

Layer dec iduous cu t t ings , a m in im um of 40 branches

p e r y d , i n t h e t r e n ch l e a n i n g t o w a r d s t h e s t re a m .

P la c e b ra n c h e s , b u d e n d s u p , i n t h e t r en c h .

Expose one- th i rd th e leng th o f ea ch branch .

Tam p na t ive so il a round cu t t ings so th a t t hey a re in

conta c t w i th the so i l .This should not fi l l the en t i re

t rench .

Backfi l l the t rench w i th g r ave l an d sm al l rock .

S a f e gu a r d a g a i n s t w a s h o u t b y t o p p in g t h e s u r fa c e w i t h

la rger rocks , coconut log , or a f asc ine .

Wet the sur face to w ash s o i l dow n in to the t rench . Add

m ore soil i f necessa ry.

Ins t a l l a sac r ific ia l row be low the ord inary h igh-w ate r

m ark or ban kfu ll leve l , i f necessary.

L ive S i l t a t i on

Live s il t a t ion i s used to a rm or an d revege t a te th e toe o f a

b a n k . It c a n b e u s e d o n s t r e a m s a n d l a k e s h o re s t o c o m b a t

w ind and w ave e ros ion . P lan t l ive s il t a t ion perpend icu lar

t o t h e w i n d a n d w a v es .

Dead a nd l ive b ran ch cu t t ings a re used to provide

i m m e d ia t e a n d l o n g -t e rm s t a b i li t y, c o ve r, a n d fi s h h a b i t a t .

Live s il t a t ion i s s im i la r t o t rench pa cking w i th the a dd i-

t ion o f rock and requ ires a v-sha ped t rench . Cut t ings a re

la id aga ins t th e s t ream s ide edge o f the t rench . A layer o fso i l i s packed around th e cu t t ings . A layer o f g rave l , sm al l

rock, an d so i l fi l l the t rench to h old the cu t t ings in p lace .


S tab i l izes the toe an d provides good fis h ha b i t a t a f t e r

apply ing a t the ord inary h igh-wa te r m a rk or ban kfu ll

level.

Fol low s the contou r o f the ban k .

Traps sed im en t fi r s t in bare b ranches , then in lea fed ou t

branches .

Provides a good ba r r ie r for rooted s tock and o ther

t e ch n i q u e s u s e d o n t h e b a n k .

Reduces ve loc i t ie s o f w ind an d w a te r .

Reinforces the so i l as deep , s t rong root s deve lop an d

ad ds res is t an ce to s lid ing and shea r d isp lacem en t .


vege t a t ion by c rea t ing sur face s t a b i li za t ion a nd a

m ic roc l im ate condu c ive to p lan t g rowth .

Insta l l in m ult iple row s i f desired .

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Live siltation construction system .

Note vis ible rocks on the bank side of the installation, safeguarding against w ashout. Kenai River, AK.


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Enha nces cond i t ions for na tura l co lon iza t ion o f

vege t a t ion f rom th e sur round ing p lan t com m uni ty .

Produces s t ream side ha b i t a t . S tab i li zes a reas a m ong o ther b ioeng ineering

techniques , such as l ive fasc ines .


Live mat eri al sizes

The s t a kes genera l ly a re 1 to 2 in . in d iam eter and 2- to

3-f t . long .The spec ific s i t e requ irem ents a nd ava i lab le

cu t t ing source de te rm ine s ize .

Live material pr eparat ion

Rem ove s ide b ran ches , leav ing the ba rk in t ac t .

Cut the basa l ends a t an a ng le or poin t for easy

inser t ion in to the so i l .The top sh ould be cu t sq uare .

Ins t a l l m ate r ia ls the sam e day tha t they a re prepared .

Place accord ing to spec ies . For exam ple, a long m any

w es te rn s t ream s t ree-type w i llow spec ies a re p laced on

the ins ide curves o f poin t ba r s wh ere m ore inund a t ion

occurs , w hi le shrub w i llow spec ies a re p lan ted on ou t -

s ide curves w here the inun da t ion per iod i s m in im al .

L iv e S t a k e

Live s t akes c rea te a l iv ing root m at t ha t s t a b i li zes the so i l

by re in forc ing a nd b ind ing so i l par t icles t oge ther an d byext r ac t ing excess so i l m ois ture. Most w i llow spec ies root

r ap id ly an d beg in to d ry ou t an excess ive ly w e t bank soon

a f t e r ins t a l la t ion . Live, root ab le vege t a t ive cu t t ings a re

inser ted or t am ped in to the g round . I f cor rec t ly prepared ,

ha nd led , an d p laced the live s t ake w i ll root and g row .


Appl icat ion

U s e s t a k es i n t h e w e t t ed z o n e o f b a n k s o r w h e re

precipita t ion is l ikely to keep the s oil moist d ur ing

growing seasons .

Effectiveness

Provides a t echniqu e w here s i t e cond i t ions a re

u n c o m p l ic a t e d , c o n s t ru c t io n t i m e i s l im i t ed , a n d a n

inexpens ive m ethod is needed .

Repair s sm a l l ear th s l ips and s lum ps tha t f r equent ly

a r e w e t .

Enh an ces the per form a nce o f geotext i le f abr ic by

serv ing a s pegs to hold f abr ic dow n.

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Instal lat ion

Orient bud s up.

Ins t a l l a l ive s t ake 2- to 3-f t . apa r t us ing t r iangular

spac ing . The den s i t y o f the ins t a l la t ion w i ll r ange f romt w o t o f o u r s t a k e s p er s q u a r e y a r d . S it e v a r ia t i o n s m a y

require s l igh t ly d i f feren t spa c ing . A spac ing pa t t e rn

should a l low for the var iab les o f a fluc tua t ing wa te r

leve l .The ins t a l l a t ion m ay be s t a r t ed a t any poin t on

the s lope f ace .

Insta l l 4/5 of the length of th e l ive sta ke into th e ground

an d fi rm ly pack the so il a round i t a f t e r ins t a l l a t ion .

Rem ove and rep lace any s t a kes tha t sp l i t dur ing


Use an i ron bar t o m ake a p i lo t ho le in fi rm so i l or

w at er jet s t inger (Hoag, et a l . 2001).

Dig in l ive stakes un less the soil is fine a nd loos e . Too

m any t am ped-in s t akes sp l it or have the ir bark

d a m a g e d b y h a m m e ri n g a n d b y h a r d r o ck y s o il s .

Ins t a l l the l ive s t ake s l igh t ly an g led dow nst ream .

Tam p the s t ake in to the g round w i th a dea d b low

h a m m e r (h a m m e r h e a d fi l le d w i t h s h o t o r s a n d ).

Insta l l geotext i le fabr ic (opt iona l) on s lopes subject to

eros ive inun da t ion . Ins t a l l the s t akes through the f abr ic.

Plan t on ban ks tha t w i ll be m ois t dur ing g row ing

season s or ins t a l l longer s t akes tha t reach the d ry

season w a te r leve l .

Lakeshore l ive stakes of fer no sta bil ity un t i l they root into

the sh ore line a rea ; how ever, over t im e they provide

excellent soil re info rcemen t . To reduce fa i lure unt i l the

r o ot s e s t a b l is h t h e m s e l v es , i n s t a ll a t io n s m a y b e e n h a n c e d

w i th a l ayer o f long s t r aw m u lch covered w i th ju te m esh

or , in m ore cr i t ic a l a reas , a geotext i le fabr ic .

Willow live stake.

Prepared live stake.

Cottonwood live stake.

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Effectiveness

B re a k s w a v e s . D o n o t u s e w h e r e ic e s co u r is a k n o w nprob lem .

Ac c u m u l a t e s s e d im e n t b e t w e e n t h e b re a k w a t e r a n d t h e

shoreline .

Is labo r inten sive to inst al l .

Requires m on i tor ing , espec ia l ly a f t e r s torm event s .


Inert materials

Logs tha t a re 2 to 3 f t . or g rea te r in d iam eter.

Tools

Steel cable .

S tee l c ab le c lam ps to m atch th e s ize o f c ab le .

Duckbi ll , sc rew -type ear th anchors , or pla te anchors .

The t ype o f anch or used depends upon the sh ear

s t reng th o f th e so i l under the lakebed .The m ost secure

an chor w i l l be se t in d ry m ate r ia l under the lakebed . I f

tha t i s not poss ib le , use anchor p la tes .

Hydrau l ic je t pum p for se t t ing an chors .

L o g B r ea k w a t er

The log b reakwa te r i s used on lakes an d reservoir s t or ed u c e w a v e s , d e fl e c t d e b ri s a n d i c e, a n d t r a p s e d im e n t .

I t is 5- to 6-f t . w ide .A breakwa te r i s e f fect ive floa t ing or

t ied to the lakebed . I f t ied to the bed , i t w i l l t r ap sed im ent

m ore r ap id ly . In th is c ase , the top o f the logs should be a t

ord inary pool he igh t . The ins t a l la t ion t echnique i s the

sam e in e i ther case . The breakwa te r is bu i lt w i th a se r ies

o f l og r a f t s . S t a g g er t h e l o gs i n e a c h r a f t . Th e n , w h e n t h e

r a f t s a r e st r u n g e n d t o e n d , t h e e n d s w i ll m e s h .


Appl icat ions

Use w here the fe t ch i s g rea te r tha n 2 m i .

Use logs ga th ered on s i t e w henever poss ible .

Use in com bina t ion w i th so i l b ioeng ineer ing t echniq ues

on shore .

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Instal lat ion

Duckbi ll s w i l l be used as a nchors in th is exam ple.

S t r ing the logs toge ther to form a cha in long enough to

protect th e shore l ine . Over lap each log by severa l fee t

a n d w r a p t h e c a b le a r o u n d t h e e n d s t o h o l d t h e l o gs

toge ther. C lam p th e cab le toge ther .

Run one long s t r inger cab le the leng th o f the log

breakwa te r. Thread th e cab le be tween th e log an d the

cab le w rap .

Loca te the b reakwa te r in 3 to 4 f t . o f w a te r . Ins t a l l the

duckb il ls in to the su bs t r a te us ing t he h ydrau l ic je t

pum p a t 8- to 10-f t . in te rva ls .

U s e a c a b l e c la m p t o f o rm a s m a l l lo o p a t t h e e n d o f t h e

duckbil l cable .

Thread a leng th o f c ab le through the loop . Use th is t o

t ie the logs to th e duckb il ls . (Cab le needs to be long

enough to accom odate cha nges in wa te r leve ls . )

Threa d th is cable over the st r inger ca ble .

Use a c a b le clam p to secure the s t r inger cab le to the

threaded cab le.

Use a c ab le c lam p on the th readed cab le to form a

loop.

Floa t logs a t th e norm al pool e leva t ion o f a l ake or

reservoir or t ie to th e bed.

Ins t a l l so i l bioeng ineering t echniques on th e shore .

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Inert m ate r ia ls

2- by 4-in . lum ber a nd na i ls for bu i ld ing f r am e . Waterproof liner.

Dead s tou t s t a kes to secure the live f asc ines . Make dead

s tou t s t akes f rom 2 .5- to 4-f t . long , sound , unt rea ted ,

2- by 4-in . lum ber . Cut each leng th d iagon a l ly ac ross the

4-i n . f a c e t o m a k e t w o s t a k es . U s e o n ly s o u n d l u m b e r.

Discard any s t a kes tha t sha t t e r upon ins t a l l a t ion .

Live materials

Rushes , sedges , or fl ood- to le ran t g rasses a re g row n in

1- to 2-in . cont a iners , an d then p lugged in to a p lan t

m a t .

Seed.

Preparation

Grow na t ive s tock in 1- to 2-in . cont a iners or use seed .

Bui ld a t r ay to hold the m at a nd w a te r ; s ize var ies

accord ing to need . Bui ld the f r am e o f 2- by 4-in . lum ber

s e t o n e d g e a n d l in e w i t h a w a t e r p ro o f li n e r. P la n t m a t s

are 3- by 15-f t . an d 2-in . th ick, a l though they can be cu t

eas i ly t o a des i red s ize .

Plug p lan t s in to th e m at a t 10- to 20-in . apa r t or in a

12-i n . g r id , d e p en d i n g o n t h e t y p e a n d a m o u n t o f p l a n t

m ate r ia l ava i lab le . Seed m ay be used a lso . Evenly cover

t h e m a t w i t h s e ed . Q u a n t it i es o f s e e d w i ll v a r y by

species.

Fi ll t h e t r a y w i t h w a t e r a n d , i f d e s ir ed , a d d n u t r ie n t s .

Grow p lan t s for 4 to 6 weeks ; s top a dd ing nut r ien t s 2 to

3 w eeks be fore m oving the m at .

C h a n g e t h e n e u t r a l w a t e r t o s a l t w a t e r, g ra d u a l ly , 2

w eeks before p lan t ing , i f p lan t s w i ll be ins t a l led in

s a l t w a t e r .

P la n t M a t

A pl a n t m a t p r o v id e s a n i n s t a n t s w a t h o f h e r b a c eo u s

g ro u n d c o v e r i n m u c h t h e s a m e w a y t h a t u n r o ll in g s o d

d o e s . U s e t h i s t e ch n i q u e o n l a k es h o r es a n d o n q u i e t

st retches of s t ream s. The m at s are 2- to 3-in.-thick

n o n w o v en c o c o n u t fi b e r t h a t a r e h e ld t o g e t h e r w i t h

organ ic la t ex a nd secured w i th a h igh t ens i le s t reng th

n e t b a c ki n g . H er b a c eo u s p l a n t s , s u c h a s s e d g es , a n d /o r

e m e r g en t a q u a t i c pl a n t s a r e gr ow n o n a m a t i n a

hydroponic se t t ing , an d then t r an spor ted to the projec t

s i t e .A dry m a t w e ighs a pproxim ate ly 45 lb. Hollow-

s t e m m e d o r w o o d y p la n t s c a n b e s t a rt e d o n s m a l le r m a t s

ca l led pa l le t s . Som e com pan ies w i l l co l lec t w i ld seed ,

g e rm i n a t e t h e m a t , a n d t r a n s p o rt i t t o t h e s it e .


Requires m a ny hours to co l lec t and germ ina te seeds .

Protect s t oe o f s lope . P lace behind a reve tm en t i f

pro tec t ion f rom s t rong cur rent s i s needed . Tran sports ea sily ; l ightw eight .

Im proves hab i t a t ins t a n t ly.

Traps sed im ent a nd prevent s s ur face e ros ion .

Provides a good success r a te for p lan t surv iva l .

Enh an ces cond i t ions for co lon iza t ion o f na t ive p lan t s

by provid ing pro tec t ion a nd a cu l ture conduc ive to seed

g e r m i n a t i o n .

Emergent aquatic plants from seeded coconut m at.

Plant mat being rolled up for transport.

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Instal lat ion

A fin ished m a t we ighs approxim a te ly 90 lb w i th the

w ate r d ra ined ou t . I f necessary , a f t e r the plan t s g row ,

the m at c an be cu t in to m a na geab le p ieces us ing a t ile

kni fe or sharp h edge cu t t e r.

Rol l the m at up i f you are us ing herbaceous p lan t s an d

t u r n t h e m a t o n e d g e t o d r a in .

Wrap th e ro ll in p las t ic an d t r an spor t i t t o the s i t e. A

roll c an l ive for 3 days th is wa y , a sh or te r t im e i f the

tem pera ture i s hot a nd d ry or f reez ing .

Loosen com pac ted so i l s on s i t e .

Unrol l the m at a t the s i t e an d s t ake the corners an d

m i d d l e w i t h d e a d s t o u t s t a k es .

C in c h t h e m a t d o w n w i t h t w i n e . W ra p t h e t w i n e a r o u n d

the s t a kes and pul l .

Wet the new ly unfur led m at .

The rolled plant mat being carried to a lakeshore site.


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Reta ins so i l and t r an spor ted sed im ent a t the shore l ine .

Reduces a long beach w ash in to a se r ies o f shor te r

sec t ions capa b le o f re t a in ing sur face so i l s .

Enh an ces cond i t ions for na tura l co lon iza t ion an d

es t ab l ishm ent o f veget a t ion f rom th e sur round ing p lan t

c o m m u n i t y . Reduces toe e ros ion a nd c rea tes a dense energy-

d iss ipa t ing reed ban k area .


Live materials

Cut and d ig c lum ps o f na t ive sedges and g rasses f rom

nearby s t a b le ban k s it e s or g row in a n ursery f rom n a t ive

seeds . Take som e so i l w i th the p lan t s , bu t not enough to

cause ins t ab i l it y t o the a rea .

Inert materials

Bur lap , 5-f t . w ide by the leng th o f th e ro ll .

Unt rea ted tw ine an d/or hog r ings .

Dead s tou t s t a kes to secure the ro l ls . Make dead s tou t

s t akes f rom 2 .5- to 4-f t . long , unt rea ted , 2- by 4-in .

lum ber . Cut each leng th d iagon a l ly ac ross the 4-in . f ace

t o m a k e t w o s t a k e s . U s e o n ly s o u n d l u m b e r. D i sc a r d

a n y s t a k e s t h a t s h a t t e r u p o n i n s t a l la t i o n .

P la n t R o l l

This t echniqu e in t roduces herbaceous vege t a t ion t o

s t ream ban k and lakeshore s i t e s whi le provid ing

s t ruc tura l s t ab i li t y. C lum ps o f p lan t s in sod a re p laced

t igh t ly in a sausa ge-l ike ro l l he ld toge ther w i th bur lap an d

tw ine .They are approxim a te ly 9- to 10-in . in d iam eter andcan be 2- to 15-f t . long .They can be used a lone or w i th

o t h e r t ec h n i q u e s , f o r ex a m p l e, a t t h e b a s e o f a b ru s h

m at t ress ins tead o f a l ive f asc ine .


Appl icat ions

Const ruc ted on s i t e .

Appl ied to ban ks tha t suppor t m os t ly g rasses a nd

sedges an d w here seed ing i s im prac t ica l because o f

fl uc tua t ing w a te r leve ls and o th er f ac tor s .

Use fu l on shore s i t e s wh ere rap id repa ir o f spot dam age

is required.

Effectiveness

Grows in w a te r an d surv ives fluc tua t ing wa te r leve ls .

Es t a b li s h e s s o d , s e d g es , a n d r ee d s .

Provides a m ic roc l im ate cond uc ive to p lan t g row th a nd

seed germ ina t ion .

Offer s re la t ive ly inexpens ive a nd im m edia te pro tec t ion

f rom eros ion .

Two methods of construction are illustrated.

WRAPPED PLANT ROLL(Not to scale)

EXAMPLE 2Burlap is pulled snugly aroundthe plants and secured by twine

wrapped around the roll, or by hogrings holding the edges together.

EXAMPLE 1The plants are wrapped in burlapor coconut fiber mat. Slits are

cut along the top, and the leafyportions of the plants are pulledthrough.


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Plan t l if t s an d p lan t bags a re genera l ly p lan ted in ca lm

w a t e r o n s t r ea m s a n d o n l a k e s h o re s .

Plant Li f ts

Const ruct a 4- to 6-in. high l i f t (soil wra pped in a

na tura l geotext ile ) a t w a te r s edge a nd la rge enough to

cover the a rea concerned .

Anchor i t w i th dea d s tou t s t a kes .

Use a rebar, a cu t t ing kni fe, or an i ron pole to punch or

cu t holes on th e top s ide .

Ins t a l l sedges , reed c lum ps , or g r asses through the

holes .

Tug each pla nt s l ight ly to be sure th at i t h as been

properly planted.

Wet the su rface .

Plan t Bags

Make ind iv idua l p lan t ba gs f rom 4- to 6-in . c lum ps o f

h e r ba c e o u s p la n t m a t e ri a l a n d f ro m t r a n s p la n t e d o rrooted s tock o f w a te r -lov ing p lan t s .

Wrap the root s in a na tura l geotext i le (bur lap) and p lan t

t h e m a t t h e w a t e r s e d g e .

PLANT ROLL: CONSTRUCTION(Not to scale)

Completing installation of reed clump system.RobbinB.

Sotir&Associates,

Inc.


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Transplanting sedges into a soil lift wrapped in coconut matting (erosion control fabric) on the Chena River, Fairbanks, AK.

Plant bag, under gravel, w ith leafed-out w illow on the Chena River, AK.


USDAForestService

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Appl icat ions U s e f o r pl a n t s t h a t w i ll n o t g r ow f ro m c u t t in g s , s u c h a s

c o n if e rs , a n d f o r p la n t i n g a n u n d e r st o r y in s h a d e d

h a b i t a t .

Planning i s c ruc ia l . P lan t im e for harves t ing seeds an d

s l ip s , p o t t in g , a n d g ro w i n g .

Use cont a iner ized p lan t s in san dy so i ls .

Use in conjunc t ion w i th o ther b ioeng ineering

techniques .

Use w i ld , t r ansp lan ted s tock or nursery- ra ised s tock .

Wild , t r ansp lan ted s tock es t ab l i shes a t a lower r a te .

S t a r t p la n t s f ro m c u t t in g s , s u c h a s l iv e s t a k e s, p o s t s ,

an d so on , i f poss ib le; nursery s tock is m ore expens ive .

Use a t s t ream leve l w hen fl ow is le ss than 3 cub ic fee t

per second (cf s ), an d behind or in a coconut log

r ev e t m e n t w h e n fl o w i s 5 c f s .

Use on m id-ban k to upper-ban k and on the fl oodpla in

w here na tura l precip it a t ion i s ad equa te for spec ific

p lan t s or w here i rr iga t ion i s ava i lab le.

Use w here p lan t s a re not l ike ly to be pu l led ou t by

graz ing or rec rea t ion a c t iv it ie s , f ros t heav ing , e ros ion ,

o r w a s h o u t .

Ro o t e d S t o c k

Rooted s tock provides ins t an t lea f cover and h ab i t a ti m p r ov e m e n t . Ro o t e d s t o c k is a t r a n s p la n t e d t r ee , w o o d y

shrub , or herbaceous p lan t w i th an es t a b l ished root

sys tem . I t c an be rooted cu t t ings ba l led w i th a bur lap

w r a p , b a r e ro o t , c o n t a i n e ri z ed p l a n t s , o r s o d o r se d g e

h a r v e s t ed n e a r t h e s i t e a n d t r a n s p la n t e d .

W illow planted from rooted st ock t o revegetate ov ergrazed Pine Creek on Cleveland NF.USDAForestService


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Appl icat ions

Used for s t ab i li za t ion a nd to c rea te an d im prove

fi s h -r ea r i n g a n d s p a w n i n g h a b i t a t . U s e d o n m e a n d e r in g s t r e a m s w i t h o u t -o f -b a n k fl o w

cond i t ions .

Sui ted to s t ream s w here fish ha b i t a t defic ienc ies ex is t .

Effectiveness

Tolera tes h igh bounda ry shear s t ress w hen logs an d

r o ot w a d s a r e w e ll a n c h o r e d .

Enh an ces the d ivers it y o f th e r ipar ian cor ridor wh en

used in com bina t ion w i th b ioeng ineer ing t echniques .

Has a l im i ted li fe span a nd m ay requ ire pre iod ic

m a i n t e n a n c e o r r ep la c e m e n t , d e p en d i n g o n t h e c l im a t e

an d durab i l it y o f the spec ies used . I f na tura l vege t a t ion

d o e s n o t t a k e h o ld , r ev e t m e n t s m a y n e e d e v en t u a l

rep lacem ent .

Crea tes a lo t o f bank d is turbance because o f the

m achinery used to d ig the t renches for the boles .

Ro o t W a d

Root w ads a rm or a ba nk by keeping the cur rent o f f the

ban k .They should be used in com bina t ion w i th o ther so i lb ioeng ineer ing t echn iques to s t ab i l ize a ba nk . Use them

on lakeshores to com bat w ind- an d w ave-eros ion .

There a re a num ber o f way s to ins t a l l root wa ds . The bole

(t runk) can be d r iven in to th e ban k , la id in a deep t rench ,

or ins t a l led as pa r t o f a log a nd boulder reve tm ent . Tw o

m ethods a re il lus t r a ted h ere.

Lo g , r o ot w a d , a n d b o u ld e r re ve t m e n t s a r e sy s t e m s

se lect ive ly p laced in an d on s t ream ban ks .These

reve tm en ts c an provide exce l len t overhead cover, res t ing

a r e a s , a n d s h e l te r s fo r in s e c t s a n d fi s h . S ev e ra l o f t h e s e

com bina t ions are d escr ibed in Flosi an d Reynolds (1991),

Rosg en (1992), a n d Berg er (1991).

U s e t re e w a d s t h a t h a v e a b r u s h y t o p a n d d u r a b l e w o o d ,

s u c h a s D o u g la s fi r, o a k , h a r d m a p l e, ju n i p er, s p r uc e,

c e d a r, r ed p i n e, w h i t e pi n e, l a rc h , o r be e ch . C a u t i on :

Ponderosa p ine and a spen are too infl exible an d a lder

decom poses r a p id ly .

ROOT WAD WITH FOOTER: SECTION(Not to scale)


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Inert materials

Tr ee s t h a t w e r e d o w n e d w i t h t h e r o o t s i n t a c t . Ro o t w a d

s p a n s h o u l d b e a p p ro x im a t e ly 5 f t . w i t h n u m e ro u s r o o t

protrusions . The bole ( t runk) sho uld be a t leas t 8- to 12

f t . l o n g.

Boulders should be as l a rge as poss ib le , bu t a m in im um

one- and one-ha l f t im e

A Soil Bioengineering Guide - Chapter5 - Soil Bioengineering Techniques

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