adapting stream corridor restoration technology to training land rehabilitation and maintenance

Adapting Stream Corridor Restoration Technology to Training Land Rehabilitation and Maintenance

Ronald W. Tuttle

The United States has more than 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams that, along with closely associatedfloodplain and upland areas, comprise corridors of great economic, social, cultural, and environmental value. These corridors support higher rates of biological productivity than almost any other landscape feature. They also contribute significantly to each military installation’s unique character. Interest in restoring stream corridor ecosystems is expanding rapidly in the United States. With this in mind, 15 federal agencies formed the Federal Interagmcy Stream Restoration Working Group in 2 995 to seek consensus on the fundamentals of modern approaches to stream restoration and to promote awareness and use of these methods throughout the nation. This unprecedented collaboration produced a comprehensive publication, entitled Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices, which has begun to serve as a foundation of stream corridor restoration knowledge and practice nationwide. Attention to these aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems is a common theme of both Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM) program and stream corridor restoration. ITAM is the Army’s strategy forfocusing on sustained use of training and testing lands. Cross-program innovation andfield-tested stream restoration methods can combine to provide greater sustainability for Depart- ment of Defense maneuver areas and ranges over both the short and long term. 0 2000 John Wiley G. Sons, Inc.

INTRODUCTION The United States is endowed with an extensive and diverse land-

scape. There are approximately 1.9 billion acres of land in the United States. According to the 1997 National Resources Inventory, about 402 million of these acres are entrusted to federal land management

Ronald W. Tuttle is a senior scientist at Tetra Tech lnc., Fairfax, Virginin.

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Federal Facilities Environmental Journal/Autumn 2000 39 0 2000 John Wiley & Sons, lnc.

Ronald W. Tuttle

agencies, including those of the Department of Defense. How that land is managed and used is of enormous importance, not just to those who manage it, but to everyone. The environmental goals of these agencies will be met only if there is good stewardship and where appropriate, restoration or rehabilitation of natural systems.

At this dawn of a new millennium, we can no longer be satisfied with just slowing erosion, water pollution, and other forms of land degradation. An ability to read the landscape and understand its interrelated ecological, social, and economic functions and values are essential to its sustainability. We need to erase from our minds the idea of a pristine world in static equilibrium, and recognize that ecological change and human interactions are an ongoing process. As we learn more about the complexity of our environment, achieving harmony with ecological processes that extend across the landscape becomes more of an impera- tive than an ideal.

.P ,-&/ The prima y peacetime mission of many milita y installations is to support and train milita y units.

If we can create such a rich landscape accidentally, then it seems reasonable to believe that we can do at least as well intentionally, and with proper design make one that is far more sustainable.

-John Tillman Lyle, 1985

SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH LRAM In keeping with this philosophy, the Sikes Act Improvement Act of

1997 (Public Law 105-85) calls for the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program to provide for the conservation and rehabilitation of natural resources on military installations, consistent with their use to ensure preparedness of the Armed Forces. The primary peacetime mission of many military installations is to support and train military units. A healthy and viable natural resource base is required for this military mission. To be effective for training, the natural condition of training areas must be maintained to provide realism.

The Department of Defense ranges and maneuver areas are finite resources that can be depleted if they are not managed for sustainability. ”Sustainability” means that resources should be used to provide for the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM) program is the Army’s strategy for focusing on sustained use of training and testing lands. The Land Rehabilitation and Maintenance (LRAM) component of the ITAM program provides for preventive and corrective land rehabilitation and maintenance pre- scriptions to:

Ensure the long-term sustainability of the land to support the military mission; Conserve and protect the natural resources; Accommodate multiple uses of the land; and Apply best management practices to ensure appropriate rehabilitation, repair, and maintenance results.

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Benefits The benefits of the ITAM strategy are numerous. The environmental

condition of training lands will continue to provide the balance of natural resources necessary for realistic military training. The ecological integrity of the training lands and associated biological communities will be maintained, protected, or enhanced. The prescribed measures will help to protect ecosystems from unacceptable degradation and restore already degraded systems.

STREAM CORRIDORS The United States has more than 3.5 million miles of rivers and

streams that, along with closely associated floodplain and upland areas, comprise corridors of great economic, social, cultural, and environmental value. These corridors perform an array of ecological functions such as modulating streamflow, storing water, removing harmful materials from water, and providing habitat for aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. They support higher rates of biological productivity than almost any other landscape feature. They also contribute significantly to each military installation’s unique character.

The cumulative effects of human activities over the years have resulted in significant changes, not only to stream corridors, but also to the ecosystems of which they are a part (see Exhibit 1). These changes

Exhibit 1. Channelization Is One of Many Human Activities that Significantly Change the Character of Streams

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Ronald W. Tuttle

include degradation of water quality, decreased water storage capacity, loss of habitat for fish and wildlife, and decreased recreational and aesthetic values.

Each of us very likely has a story to tell about a stream. Those who grew up in the Pacific Northwest during the middle of the century may recall some of the things that happened to significantly change the Columbia River and many of its tributaries. Some individuals perhaps had the unforgettable opportunity to observe Native Americans net and spear wild salmon at historic fishing sites such as Celilo Falls, where the Columbia once plunged over a narrow slot cut through the bedrock of the Columbia Gorge. These places and their use quietly disappeared as the free-flowing Columbia River was converted to a slack-water system, controlled by hydroelectric dams and barge traffic. Thousands of acres of sagebrush and dry-land farming in the Columbia Basin were quickly converted to irrigated cropland, orchards, and vineyards with water drawn from the Columbia River. This story could go on to talk about the effects of commercial and residential development, radioactive waste disposal, logging, grazing, and tillage. Each left its mark; however, their cumulative effects have made the region and its streams significantly different from what they once were.

American Rivers, a national river conservation organization, recently announced the nation’s most endangered rivers of 2000, which includes the Snake River, a major tributary of the Columbia that North America’s freshwater species are imperiled by widespread alterations of rivers and streams. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Water Quality Inventory: 1996 Report to Congress stated:

Exhibit 2. Agencies Comprising the Federal Working Group

U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Cooperative State Research,

Forest Service Natural Resources Conservation Service

Education, and Extension Service

Tennessee Valley Authority

Federal Emergency Management Agency

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

U.S. Department of Defense Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service Geological Survey

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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Exhibit 3. Common Reference for 15 Federal Agencies

Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group (FISRWG). (1998). Stream corridor restoration: Principles, processes, and practices. Washington, D.C.

As of 1996, about 40 percent of the nation’s surveyed rivers, lakes, and estuaries are too polluted for basic uses, such as fishing and swimming. This information from the states indicates that serious water pollution problems persist nationwide and emphasizes the importance of implementing the recently released Clean Water Action Plan: Restoring and Protecting America’s Waters.

Stream Corridor Restoration With this in mind, interest in restoring stream corridor ecosystems is

expanding rapidly in the United States. Research is underway and related technical guidelines are being developed. In 1995, representatives from several federal agencies met to discuss the possibility of working together to produce a common technical reference for stream corridor restoration. This was the beginning of an unprecedented federal interagency collaboration involving participating agencies to produce a document entitled, Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices.

The resulting 700-page document was printed in October of 1998 and was widely distributed by the Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group (FISRWG). (See Exhibit 2.) The complete printed ver- sion, including illustrations and current revisions can be found at www.usda.gov/stream-restoration. It’s also available in print and on CD at the National Technical Information Service in Springfield, Virginia, by calling (800) 553-6847. (See Exhibit 3.)

Federal Facilities Environmental Journal/Au tumn 2000 43

Ronald W. Tuftle

Exhibit 4. Planning Across Multiple Scales of the Landscape Is an Important Premise of the Document


44 Federal Facilities Environmental Journal/Aufumn 2000

Adaptina Stream Corridor Restoration Technolorn to Training Land Rehabilitation and Maintenance

This document provides broadly applicable guidance for common elements of the restoration process, but also offers alternatives that may be appropriate for site-specific restoration or rehabilitation activities. It contains guidance that is applicable in both urban and rural settings and offers a scientific perspective on restoration work ranging from simple to complex. As a general goal, it promotes the use of ecological principles and minimally intrusive solutions to restore self-sustaining stream corridor functions. The document is intended for interdisciplinary technical teams and individuals who are responsible for planning, design- ing, and implementing stream restoration initiatives. It will also be useful to contractors, landowners, volunteers, and others working in stream corridors.

The document is divided into three principal parts. Part I provides background on the fundamental concepts of stream corridor structure, processes, functions, and the effects of disturbance. Part I1 focuses on a general restoration plan development process, and Part I11 examines the information presented in Parts I and I1 to consider how it can be applied. The contents are intended to both entice and challenge the reader by what they suggest-not only work to be studied and expanded, but work to be initiated. (See Exhibit 4.)

Exhibit 5. Four-Dimensional Framework for Examining Stream Corridors


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Ronald W. Tutfle

COMMON GOALS The interagency document begins by introducing a four-dimensional

framework for examining the physical, chemical, and biological charac- teristics of stream corridors (see Exhibit 5). Attention to these character- istics of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems is a common theme of both LRAM and stream corridor restoration.

One of the most significant environmental problems at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for example, involves excessive erosion and the subsequent deposition of sediment into streams and lakes. Protecting and improv- ing the water quality in streams, lakes, and ponds has become a priority because of two federally endangered species of bats which forage within riparian corridors on aquatic insects, most of which have a life stage that is fully aquatic. The management measures prescribed to address this priority include restoration of riparian vegetation, streambank stabiliza- tion, and upland erosion control.

Exhibit 6. Details of Brush Mattress Technique

dead stout stakc

Note Rootedllrafcd condition of the living plant materiill 15 not rf-'pre\rntativt: at thr tlme of installat ion Souru? Chapter 16 Engineering Hanrlbook, USDA-MRCS, 1997


46 Federal Facilities Environmental Journal/Autumn 2000


Exhibit 7. Slope Gradient Is an Important Factor in Determining Appropriate Restoration Measures


These and other best management practices are described in the Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices publication. Chapter 2 of the document describes the physical, chemical, and biological processes and functions that characterize stream corridors. It includes a discussion of important biological components and life history requirements of target species groups such as bats. Part I11 of the document is the "how to" section and is followed by an Appendix that includes many innovative techniques that are being used in stream corridor restoration. The examples are conceptual and require the use of local criteria, standards, and specifications for appropriate design and implementation. Exhibit 6 and Exhibit 7 are examples of the integration of concept with design that is appropriate to both stream corridor restoration and land rehabilitation and maintenance.

Training Several agencies of FISRWG, with the assistance of Tetra Tech Inc.,

have developed and made associated training available. One of the two week-long courses available, entitled Working at a Watershed Level,

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Ronald W. Tuttle

Participants in either of these training courses will include nonscientists wi th little watershed or stream restoration experience, technical specialists who seek a broader perspective, land managers or decision makers, and informed citizens.

provides a basic but broad foundation of scientific and social principles useful in guiding watershed management activities. The six training units making up this course move logically through a discussion of how watersheds work, how change occurs in watersheds, methods to assess watershed conditions and plans for management, watershed management practices, and the all-encompassing social and cultural context for watershed management.

Some environmental sciences course work, experience working in streams and watersheds, or participation in the previously described watershed level training will significantly aid people who plan to attend the second training course, entitled A Framework for Stream Corridor Restoration. Utilizing the interagency publication, Stream Corridor Resto- ration: Principles, Processes, and Practices, this introductory course teaches the ecological processes, structure, and functions that form stream corridor systems; stream corridor characterization and condition analy- sis; developing a restoration plan; restoration design; implementation; and monitoring.

Participants in either of these training courses will include nonscientists with little watershed or stream restoration experience, technical specialists who seek a broader perspective, land managers or decision makers, and informed citizens. Typically, participants will have significant experience or training in some of the topics covered and little or none in others. For further information contact Tetra Tech Inc., 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 340, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, Tel. (703) 385-6000.

CONCLUSION In his book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold wrote:

The art of land doctoring is being practiced with vigor, but the science of land health is yet to be born.

An ecologically derived approach to land rehabilitation and maintenance offers promise in response to this concern. It demands that we set our sights higher to improve the land by restoring or rehabilitating those places that are damaged-to create places that improve rather than degrade over time.

It suggests that land can be considered healthy:

When its inherent potential is realized; Its capacity for self-repair, when disturbed, is preserved; and When minimal external support or management is needed.

This can become the norm in the not too distant future with LRAM strategy and stream corridor restoration technology. Cross-program innovation and field-tested methods can combine to provide greater sustainability for Department of Defense maneuver areas and ranges over both the short and long term. *:*

48 Fedeval Facilities Environmental Journal/Auturnn 2000


REFERENCES Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group (FISRWG). (1998). Stream corridor restoration: Principles, processes, and practices. Washington, DC.

Leopold, A. (1949). A sand county almanac. New York: Oxford University Press.

Lyle, J.T. (1985). Design for human ecosystems. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, Inc.

National Research Council. (1992). Restoration of aquatic ecosystems: science, technology, and public policy. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

US. Army. (1999). Integrated natural resources management plan for Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. (1997). National resources inventory. Washington, DC.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Natural Resources Conservation Service. (1996). America’s private land: A geography of hope. Washington, DC.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (1999). Report brochure, national water quality inventory: 1996 report to Congress (EPA841-F-97-003).

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adapting stream corridor restoration technology to training land rehabilitation and maintenance

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