1. Project Title: Sand Creek Bank and Channel Restoration
2. Contact
Jim Dexter, Fisheries Management Biologist
621 North 10th street, P.O. Box 355, Plainwell, Michigan 49080
Tel.: (616) 685-6851; FAX: (616) 685-1362
3. Agencies Involved
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Fisheries Division, P.O. Box 355, Plainwell, Michigan 49080
Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation
6425 S. Pennsylvania, Suite 9, Lansing, Michigan 48911
Kalamazoo Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited
Ed Hoover, 2595 5th Street, Shelbyville, Michigan 49344
4. Restoration Goal
Restore bank blowout from flood and restore original channel from blowout. Provide additional trout habitat and restore spawning areas.
5. Project Type
Channel restoration, trout habitat enhancement, and spawning habitat restoration.
6. Background and Rationale
Sand Creek is a small, third order tributary to the Kalamazoo River (Allegan County) in southwest Michigan. The average stream discharge is approximately 0.14 m3/s. The creek averages 2.7 m wide and is about 10 cm deep. It has a fall of over 48 m from its headwaters to confluence in just under 9.6 km. Natural populations of brook and brown trout reside in the creek, along with spawning populations and recruitment of chinook salmon, coho salmon, and rainbow trout.
In 1978, a 30 cm rainfall event caused the creek to "breach" the bank and eliminate perhaps the most significant spawning reach in the entire creek. This 90 m reach of channel was in the shape of an oxbow. In 1985, funding was supplied by the Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division to correct the breach by rebuilding the bank to direct the waterflow back into the original stream channel and add some additional habitat for trout and salmon through the addition of rocks and logs. The de-watering of the original stream channel caused the loss of the largest suitable area of spawning gravel for trout and salmon.
7. Regulatory Considerations
(A): Completion of application for permit under the Michigan Inland Lakes and Streams Act, 1972 P.A. 346, as amended.
8. Criteria
Stabilization of banks to prevent erosion of sediments, addition of habitat (rocks/logs/stumps) to provide cover, sites for production. The area of channel that was lost due to the breach contained some of the best available habitat in the creek for production and nursery areas for trout and salmon. In addition, the flood swept away much of the available habitat in that section. Our criterion (or goal) was to restore the original channel in such a way as to include installation of suitable habitat and preservation of gradient to keep gravel beds clean of sediment.
9. Project Design
The project was designed only to restore the old channel by blocking the new channel, and adding habitat to the creek that was washed out with the flood. At the same time, the channel sides would be rip rapped for further protection from future high water levels. These steps would ensure that the high quality spawning areas would remain useful to salmonids.
10. Implementation
Problem developed in 1978. Funding requested each year through 1985 from the State, but never funded. Outside funding sought in 1985 and approved by Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation. Act 346 permit approved in June 1986. Construction and completion of the project was accomplished in 2 weeks in August of 1986. Construction was completed by a combination of Michigan Youth Corp workers, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division personnel, and by contract with a private excavator.
Construction involved clearing an access road through a State
forest (approximate length of 0.8 km), getting an excavator down
to the creek and cleaning and reshaping the damaged channel back
to its original shape. Bank stabilization was done on three areas
of this channel where erosion had occurred. This work was done
with tree stumps, logs, and rock (field stone). Large rocks were
placed in the channel to enhance food production and provide cover
for trout. A narrow "plug" of land was left between
the existing and new channels so that rocks, a pool, and rock
rip-rap could be placed in the channel while dry. A berm was also
constructed to assure the stream was directed to the proper location.
Finally, the original channel was opened and another berm was
constructed to divert the stream from the new channel to the original
channel. The berms were
constructed with soil, filter fabric, and rock. Upon completion
of the work, the access road was closed off with 3 berms, posts
and the road and work area were seeded with a plant mix which
provided food for wildlife cover as well (Figure 1).
By August 1991, some slumping of rock rip-rap occurred and small
erosion areas developed on the construction berm. Funding for
repairs were once again provided by the Michigan Wildlife Habitat
Foundation, with work being directed by the Michigan Department
of Natural Resources Fisheries Division, and work being accomplished
by the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited.
11. Degree of Environmental Intervention
Most of the work was conducted by excavator and by hand. Some rocks and logs had to be individually placed. All material used was local. Stumps and logs were cut or gathered from the State Forest which the creek flows through. Field stone was delivered from a local quarry. Only short-term intervention was required since the majority of the channel work was done in the dry. Completing this project required the dewatering of a relatively short stretch of creek (less than 60 m) and subsequent loss of any production this area established since its "creation" in 1978. However, additional stream footage was regained upon completion of the project, and successful salmonid reproduction occurred in the reclaimed stretch in the fall of 1986.
12. Cost
Engineering/design (by field biologists): $500
Construction costs: $6 850
Supervision $1 000
Subtotal $8 350
Assessment costs:
Field crew for population samples:
2 Technicians, 1 Biologist (2 days) $450
1 Biologist for data workup (1 day) $150
Total estimated costs $8 950
13. Biological Assessment
Mark and recapture population estimates were conducted in August of 1991. A 12 Volt D.C. backpack electroshocker was used to evaluate a stretch of approximately 300 m of creek, which had this improvement area right in the middle of the stretch. In addition, 2 other areas of the creek were sampled, one area each below and above the area that was worked on. Our mark and recapture estimates showed that the project was successful, as naturally produced salmonids were found in good abundance at the project site location:
Rainbow trout: Estimated 1728 fish/ha (16 kg/ha); size 2.5-17.5 cm
Brook trout: Estimated 212 fish/ha (7 kg/ha ); size 5-22.5 cm
Coho salmon: No estimate but 7 parr (7.5-10 cm) were collected.
14. Measures of Success
Our measures of success were as simple as (1) are salmonids utilizing the project site, (2) are salmonids successfully spawning, and (3) are the stabilizations that occurred holding up over time? Numbers 1 and 2 were met, as was number 3 at least partially. While most of the stabilizations that occurred have held up over time and through several large rain events, some slumping did occur and maintenance had to take place in order to preserve the integrity of the entire stabilization. Future monitoring of the site will occur in order to follow the progress of the brook trout population (the key species we are managing for) which appears to be at a low level.
Success Rating: 5
15. Key References
None.
Correct citation for this contribution:
Dexter, J. 1995. Sand Creek bank and channel restoration, p. 231-235. In J.R.M. Kelso and J.H. Hartig [editors]. Methods of modifying habitat to benefit the Great Lakes ecosystem. CISTI (Can. Inst. Sci. Tech. Inf.) Occas. Pap. No. 1.