Rice Creek Restoration
Rice Creek Restoration
EOR has completed one of the largest stream restoration projects in the Midwest. Over 2-miles of Rice Creek, presumably straightened in the early 1900’s for agricultural drainage, has been reconnected to its natural meandering flow path. In response to the legacy ditching this 7-mile reach of Rice Creek was laterally and horizontally unstable and thus transporting an abundant sediment load to downstream resources.
EOR utilized and paired multiple models (HECRAS, XP-SWMM, RIVERMorph, & CONCEPTS) to confirm field assessments and fine tune natural channel parameters for stability. Historic abandon water courses were identified and modified (to match present hydrology) to recreate a stable stream. The 1st restoration phase is over a decade mature and the most recent restoration was brought online in 2018.
Client Benefits
- Improved IBI (fish & invertebrate) scores and water quality.
- Reduced dredging frequency of downstream lake.
- Project spurred interest in resource and the establishment of a water trail.
- Same core project team spanning over a decade.
- Direct and indirect (stream aggradation) wetland hydrology restoration.
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