Monday, 7 November 2005
18

Friar's Creek: An Urban/Rural Stream Rehabilitation Project.

Wesley Rosenthal, Dennis Hoffman, Jason McAlister, and Pam Ellis. Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Blackland Res. Cntr./TAES, 720 E. Blackland Rd., Temple, TX 76502

A central Texas creek in an urbanizing watershed has begun to degrade in a natural portion of the creek. A project, funded by EPA, was initiated to rehabilitate portions of the creek. Model simulation (SWAT-DEG) results indicate a long-term widening and deepening of the creek channel. Channel dimensions were altered at six demonstration sites to help handle increased flows. Grasses (buffalograss, switchgrass, gammagrass, sprangle-top, and side-oats) were planted on the banks of the six demonstration sites. Native wetland vegetation (pickerel weed, duck potato, bulrush, water willow, sedge, and spike rush) was transplanted at the toe of the channel bank to help stabilize the lower part of the bank. Periodic survey cross-sections will help determine any degradation/aggregation as a result of the reshaping of the channel.

Handout (.pdf format, 5084.0 kb)

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