new adventures in bioengineering, willow curtains & willow poles note: rem put out an album a...

New Adventures in Bioengineering,Willow Curtains & Willow Poles

Note: REM put out an album a few years called “New Adventures in Hi-Fi” and I firmly

believe that Rock and Roll and bank stabilization are in exorbitantly linked!

"....Like a river that don't know where it's goin',

I took a wrong turn and I just kept goin'...."From "Hungry Heart" by Bruce Springsteen

BIOENGINEERING: The use of living plant materials to stabilize

streambanksMost bioengineering gives Mother Nature a

jump start (plant those native species, tall, short, fast growing, slow growing, etc.)

ADVENTITIOUS ROOTING PLANTS NEED TO BE PLANTED WHEN THE

PLANTS ARE DORMANT {AFTER THE LEAVES

HAVE DROPPED & BEFORE THE LEAF BUDS APPEAR

IN THE SPRING}

Don’t plant your plants upside

down, they do not always grow!!!!!!

Adventitious Rooting Plants(when trunk or branches are in contact with soil the plant will sprout roots)

• Banker’s Willow- Salix x cottetii, Streamco Willow- Salix purpurea, Black Willow- Salix nigra, Pussy Willow- Salix discolor, & Crack, Autumn etc.

• Red Osier Dogwood- Cornus stolonifera• Silky Dogwood- Cornus amomum• Buttonbush- Cephalanthus occidentalis• Sycamore- Platanus occidentalis• Cottonwood- Populus deltoides• Box Elder- Acer negundo• Speckled Elder-(bark was scarred)- Alnus rugosa• Elderberry- Sambucus Canadensis• Elm- Ulmus Americana• Bois d'arc, Mock Orange, Bow Wood, Hedge Apple, Horse Apple, Osage Orange- all

are Maclura pomifera. • River Birch- (Betula nigra)• Black Locust- (Robinia psedoacacia) • Northern Catalpa- (Catalpa speciosa) • Mulefat- (Baccharis salicifolia)

Anyone know of any others???

The Willow Curtain Method(Dave’s Easy Wattle)

Description: Horizontal placement of anchored willow tree trunks in a shallow trench positioned near water's edge. Can be placed on benched areas at heights just above the low-flow water surface elevation, or on the point bar (in low sections or near the edge) to increase flow resistance and reduce the impact of concentrated flow on the eroding outer bank.

• Can be accomplished with no mechanized support.• Very inexpensive, simple to understand and execute, and quick!• Anchor with dead stout stakes or live stakes.• Five 20 ft. long willows will cover 100 ft of stream bank.• A two man crew installed 300 lineal ft. of curtains in 3 hours.• Need to be installed in areas with sufficient moisture.• This WES developed technique is currently considered

experimental.

Mini case study: 1 of 9

Use cut branches as live stakes


Wayne Kinney, NRCS, retired, or just tired, working hard, (hey, someone has to take the pix)

High flow


Rocky Fork Branch of Piasa Creek, Alton, IL

Rocky Fork Branch of

Piasa Creek, Alton, IL Mini case study: 9 of 9

Dave’s Willow Pole Method(The Quick & Dirty Fascine)

Description: Anchored willow tree trunk placed with the butt end buried below the water surface at the toe of the eroding bank, trunk positioned up-bank in a shallow trench. Water is supplied at base, roots grow from trunk which is in contact with the soil all the way up the bank, with branches sprouting along the entire length of the "up" side of the trunk.

• Inexpensive, simple, and quick!• On eroding banks should be used in combination with redirective methods or

toe protection.• Can be accomplished with no mechanized support, excellent for areas where

equipment access is limited or prohibited.• Expensive auguring equipment is not needed.• Anchor with dead stout stakes or live stakes.• This WES developed technique is currently considered experimental.


Big Blue River, Manhattan, KS.


Osage Creek @ Tim Roger’s place, AR


Osage Creek digging a hole for the willow pole, 9-23-2005


Osage Creek, Jan 2006, water-loving adventitious plants need to have their basal ends in the capillary (vadose) zone


Osage Creek - willow pole placed in hole & backfilled, 9-23-2005


Osage Creek use either live stakes or substantial wooden stakes for securing the willow pole, 9-23-2005


Osage Creek, willow pole staked down, 9-23-2005


Osage Creek, close-up of willow pole staked down, 9-23-2005


Osage Creek, willow pole staked down

Soil placed around willow pole


Looking DS, Osage Creek, willow poles just placed


It’s not a bad idea to scrape a little bark off the pole-9-23-05

Good growth by Oct 21, 2005. Unfortunately, I have never been back to this site


THAT’S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS !!!!

MONITORING WILL CONTINUE

new adventures in bioengineering, willow curtains & willow poles note: rem put out an album a...

Documents

ilmini case study

live stakesmini case

pussy willow salix

pixhigh flowmini case

black willow salix nigra

eroding bank

bank stabilization

eroding outer bank