BergerWorld: 2nd Quarter 2006

In recent years, stream restoration has gained increasing recognition as important in its own right, as a separate and distinct form of restoration, not merely falling under the generic umbrella of wetland restoration. In the past, streams were often dredged and straightened in order to drain wetlands for agriculture.

Today the thinking is reversed-straightened canals are returned into their original meandering shape with a vegetated riparian zone, adding greater volume for storm water attenuation; purifying storm water by absorbing and decomposing nutrients, pesticides, sediments, and oil and grease; providing leaves and organic material for bacteria, fungi and aquatic insects to consume at the base of the food chain; and increasing dissolved oxygen levels, especially important for fish like trout which require high oxygen concentrations.

Past waste disposal practices and releases from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), a major United States Department of Energy (USDOE) research center in Upton, NY, have introduced contaminants into sections of the Peconic River. Berger, teamed with Envirocon, was selected by USDOE and BNL to restore 11,000 linear feet of contaminated wetlands on the Peconic River, including over 20 acres of low marsh, riverine and open water habitats, under an innovative design/ build program. Berger also prepared the necessary permit applications for New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and supported BNL at government meetings. The Team harvested native wetland plants, removed sediments, and potted and transported them to a holding area, excavated and removed the contaminated sediments, regraded the site, and reused the non-contaminated sediments as a native seed bank. The salvaged plants were then transplanted back to the low marsh and open water zones, restoring the marsh for the threatened banded sunfish. The project was so successful that after the first growing season native plant cover met its performance standard a year in advance.

As part of the U.S. Route 15 Improvement Project, Berger was selected by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to develop a wetland mitigation plan. Since the proposed highway realignment impacted 4,255 feet of Morgan Creek, NYSDOT was required to restore at least 1,000 feet of the creek in the vicinity of Lindley, NY. To determine the viability of stream restoration, Berger assessed the creek between Route 15 and the Tioga River, identifying eroding, undercut and slumped banks, bank failures and fallen trees. Based on the Team's recommendations-regrading eroded banks, planting vegetation, removing fallen trees, and modifying culverts to improve fish passage-all necessary permits were issued.

To offset adverse impacts of the Green Brook Flood Control Project, Berger was chosen by the New York District of the USACE to develop a wetland mitigation and stream restoration plan, obtain required permits, and maximize the wetland mitigation acreage. After a careful review of several potential mitigation areas, Berger selected the Finderne site, a 179-acre parcel of undeveloped land in Bridgewater Township, NJ, containing 1,100 linear feet of stream. With eroded, undercut and slumped banks, and flanking vegetation grazed by farm animals, the channel lacked a riparian buffer and proper floodplain. A culvert restricted flows and encouraged stream bed scour. Based on hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, Berger developed a natural stream restoration design, prepared cost estimates, developed planting plans, and provided support during construction for the USACE.

The New Jersey Water Supply Authority, which operates and maintains the public water supply facilities in the Raritan River Basin, including Spruce Run and Round Valley reservoirs, received an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant to preserve the water quality of streams feeding into reservoirs. Part of the grant, the restoration of the Mulhockaway Creek at the eastern end of Hoffman Park, a tributary to the Spruce Run Reservoir, includes replacement of deteriorating and undersized culverts that impede fish passage, water flow and sediment transport. Mulhockaway Creek follows a straight course through forested upland and wetland areas, with bank erosion upstream and a deep scour pool with incised and eroded banks downstream of the culverts. Based on the hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics, the Team excavated and stockpiled the existing stream bed material for reuse, relocated the stream, and replaced undersized culverts to improve flows, fish passage and sediment transport. After the stream banks were graded and the flood plain planted, the stream supported a healthy riparian and aquatic habitat.

Berger has been selected under the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP) to design, build and maintain the Black Gum stream restoration project. Located on 150 acres in Robeson County, NC, the site is currently a cotton farm that has been extensively ditched and drained. Berger will restore 10,000 feet of stream to attenuate floods and improve downstream water quality. Berger has completed the environmental assessment, acquired and protected the properties with a conservation easement, collected technical data, and developed preliminary stream design plans.

Under a second EEP assignment, Berger was selected to restore 7,000 feet of stream and riverine habitat at Acre Swamp Creek, a former wetland drained with a series of canals. Berger will convert the canals into a shallow, meandering stream designed to overflow its banks during the rainy season, providing water to the forested wetland habitat along its floodplain.

Berger was selected by the North Carolina Department of Transportation Project Development & Environmental Analysis Branch to develop and manage the Second Creek and Homestead sites as part of Berger's Yadkin River Wetland Mitigation Bank. Through a design/build process, Berger purchased 49 acres of floodplain at the Second Creek site and 35 acres at the Homestead site. Channelized over the past century, Second Creek provided an ideal site for restoration. Today the site consists of 49 acres of restored wetlands and 3,000 feet of restored stream. The Homestead site had been ditched and converted to agriculture. Berger conducted geotechnical testing and assessments; groundwater, infiltration and hydrogeologic analyses; created a digital terrain model; and characterized the various habitats in order to develop a mitigation plan. The plan outlined restored ecological functions, including riparian buffers, removal of non-point source sediments and nutrients, interception of storm water runoff from adjacent up-slope developments, and a wildlife refuge. Today the Homestead site consists of 35 acres of restored wetland and 2,500 feet of restored stream. Both sites will be conveyed to a non-profit organization upon completion.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) chose Berger to assist in resolving stream mitigation issues at the Big Sandy U.S. Penitentiary, near Inez, KY, where Little Beech Fork and Honey Branch streams were impacted during construction. Berger reviewed historic documentation and worked with the EPA, Huntington District of the USACE, the Kentucky Division of Water and the design/build contractor to resolve these concerns. Following permit approvals, Berger provided environmental permit compliance inspections, and reviewed the proposed stream restoration monitoring plan prepared by the contractor.

A glacial basin in Greene County, Indiana, that was once an expansive, thriving wetland, has been drained since the early 1900s. On behalf of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Berger developed detailed plans to restore a large portion of the wetlands, streams and wildlife habitat. Restoration included 25 miles of earthen dikes, 14,000 linear feet of streams and a permanent 2,750-acre shallow water impoundment. Based on soils and geologic investigations and hydrologic models, the Team designed a variety of water control structures, earthen embankments, an auxiliary spillway and a restored stream channel. Berger also prepared cost estimates, quality assurance, construction inspection, and operation and maintenance plans. The successfully restored wetland complex, which includes 5,000 acres of stream, woody swamp, wet meadow, marsh and open water habitat, is now one of the most significant waterfowl habitats in Indiana.