Natural Riparian Resources

1
Natural Riparian Resources
Water
Vegetation
Landscape/Soil
2
King Hill Creek
3
Clover Creek
4
Mill Creek
5
Boulder Creek
6
Harney Lake
7
Wetted Soil
8
Russell Bar Salmon River
9
Aerobic vs. Anaeobic
10
Boulder Creek
11
(No Transcript)
12
Standard Checklist (lotic)
13
13) Floodplain and channel characteristics (i.e.
rocks, overflow channels, coarse and/or large
woody material are adequate to dissipate energy

• Purpose To determine if the floodplain is
  adequate to dissipate energy on systems that
  should have a floodplain
• or if the channel characteristics are adequate
  on systems that dissipate energy within the
  channel and/or overflow channels (do not and
  wont have a floodplain).
• Appropriate channel size and shape
• Fully developed floodplain
• Adequate roughness in the channel
• Relates to items 1 and 3

14

• Is the floodplain fully developed (see question
  1)?
• Is there sufficient overflow channels,
  vegetation, rock, and woody debris to handle high
  flows without degrading?
• Is the sinuosity and width/depth ratio
  appropriate for the site (see Question 3)?

15
Yes, channel characteristics are adequately
dissipating energy (B2 channel)
16
Yes, channel is dissipating energy both in the
channel and with a floodplain
17
No, stream needs a floodplain but has incised and
abandoned it
18
No, stream needs a floodplain but has incised and
abandoned it
19
Yes, floodplain is necessary, fully developed,
and is currently being used!
20
14) Point bars are revegetating with
riparian-wetland vegetation

• Purpose To determine if a common depositional
  feature of a stream (point bar) is being
  colonized with riparian-wetland vegetation. It
  is important that vegetation capture point bars
  to maintain width/depth ratios and allow the
  channel to evolve and become more efficient.
• Applies only to stream types with point bars
  (some B and most C channels) NA for others
• Vegetation must be stabilizing species

21

• Is there a distinct and relatively continuous
  line of stabilizing riparian vegetation on the
  point bar?
• Is there sprout and/or young woody species on the
  point bar?
• Is herbaceous stabilizing riparian species
  expanding?

22
Scour line or bankfull level

• Is there a distinct and relatively continuous
  line of stabilizing riparian vegetation on the
  point bar? YES
• Is there sprout and/or young woody species on the
  point bar? YES
• Is herbaceous stabilizing riparian species
  expanding? YES
• Do not expect that portion of the bar within the
  bankfull channel to revegetate!

23
Yes, spikerush and coyote willow are colonizing
the point bar
24
No, most of the point bar is unvegetated
25
15) Lateral stream movement is associated with
natural sinuosity

• Purpose To determine if lateral movement of the
  channel is normal or if it has been accelerated.
  Excessive lateral movement of the channel is
  indicative of an unstable channel.
• For yes answers, look for indicators of normal
  movement such as a single thread channel,
  appropriate w/d ratios, stable streambanks (esp.
  on straight sub- reaches), no change in streambed
  elevation
• For no answers, look for multiple thread
  channels, very high w/d ratios, unstable
  streambanks, aggrading streambed

26
No, lateral stream movement is not associated
with natural sinuosity

• Do the streambanks have an adequate amount of
  stabilizing vegetation (see Questions 9 11)?
  No
• Is the channel widening? Yes, W/d ratio? Too
  High, Is the channel aggrading? Yes
• Is the channel multi-thread (D channel type)?
  Yes
• Is sinuosity appropriate for the valley type (see
  Question 3)? No

27
Lateral Stream Movement Natural?
No
Yes, (Reference Reach)
28
No, lateral movement is excessive
29
No, excessive lateral movement
Yes, lateral movement associated with natural
sinuosity
30
Yes, natural lateral movement
31
16) System is vertically stable

• Purpose To determine if channel lowering
  adjustments are occurring at a natural or
  accelerated rate.
• Look for presence of a headcut(s)
• Potential to move up through a wetland
• Does not refer to aggradation
• Many channels downcut in the past are generally
  vertically stable (some arent)

32

• Is there a head cut capable of moving upstream
  within or below the reach?
• Are there hydrologic modifiers such as abandon
  beaver dams, logs, or structures that have water
  moving under them?
• Is sediment or debris accumulation causing the
  water to flow out of the channel?

33
Stream has incised in the past and can go deeper!

• Is there a head cut capable of moving upstream
  within or below the reach?
• Are there hydrologic modifiers such as abandon
  beaver dams, logs, or structures that have water
  moving under them?
• Is sediment or debris accumulation causing the
  water to flow out of the channel?

34
Yes, channel is now vertically stable at a new
base elevation
35
Yes, system is vertically stable channel is now
stable at a new base elevation although there is
very little floodplain development
36
17) Stream is in balance with the water and
sediment being supplied by the watershed (i.e.,
no excessive erosion or deposition)

• Purpose To determine if the stream is out of
  balance and degrading the riparian-wetland area.
• Increases or decreases in water
• Channel degradation
• Sediment transport
• Channel erosion

37
Water/Sediment Balance
38

• Is there evidence of increased water flow such as
  channel degradation or channel erosion (see
  Question 5)?
• Are there mid-channel bars, sediment filled
  pools, sand/silt/clay channel bottoms (see
  question 3)?
• Is there channel braiding?
• Are streambanks stable (see Question 11)?

39
James Creek

• Is there evidence of increased water flow such as
  channel degradation or channel erosion (see
  Question 5)?
• Are there mid-channel bars, sediment filled
  pools, sand/silt/clay channel bottoms (see
  question 3)?
• Is there channel braiding?
• Are streambanks stable (see Question 11)?

40
Sand Creek

• Is there evidence of increased water flow such as
  channel degradation or channel erosion (see
  Question 5)?
• Are there mid-channel bars, sediment filled
  pools, sand/silt/clay channel bottoms (see
  question 3)?
• Is there channel braiding?
• Are streambanks stable (see Question 11)?