Restoration of Woodiebrook

by Steve Phillips CPESC TS2-Stream Restoration

An innovative and adaptive approach to stream restoration in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, USA has shown how design-build literally saved one strain of Ohio’s rare brook trout populations.

Bill Hudson needed to restore a badly degraded trout stream, and he didn't have much time. He was working in Ohio, a state where trout streams are rare, and stream restoration is a fledgling science. More challenging, Hudson's non-profit conservation group doesn't have deep pockets, certainly not as deep as the developers who wanted to turn this trout stream into high-priced home lots. Hudson wasn't sure that Woodiebrook could be saved, but he knew that if the effort failed, one of the last native brook trout streams in Ohio would disappear, an important symbol of Ohio's lost wilderness.

Three years later, indicators suggest Hudson succeeded. Brook trout are living and growing in the Chagrin River tributary named Woodiebrook, and the design-build project that led to this rare stream's restoration is being held up as a model for stream mitigation projects that must meet the requirements of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state environmental regulators. It's also a proud addition to the portfolio of Oxbow River & Stream Restoration, an Ohio firm specializing in design-build restoration projects.

Early naturalists knew brook trout were never abundant in the state and the fish were only found in the cold, rocky tributaries of Lake Erie's eastern basin. One by one thosetributaries became uninhabitable for trout, as the settlers cleared the streamside forests, built dams and emptied sewers into the tributaries. By the end of the 20th Century, only a few streams remained in Ohio that were cold enough and had the proper habitat to harbor trout.

By the early 1990’s, residential development was sweeping through the Cleveland-Akron areas, and it had drastically changed the character of most of the cold water streams in northeastern Ohio. Only two streams remained with known brook trout populations. DNA research had persuaded state officials that Woodiebrook trout were the sole surviving populations of a unique strain of Ohio native brook trout that were thought to have become extinct by the mid-1800s.

The impact of residential development nearby changed Woodiebrook significantly. A one-acre pond was constructed on the eastern tributary and another one was relocated, creating a narrow ditch-like channel. The channel relocation and pond construction dumped sediment and debris throughout the mainstream of Woodiebrook, causing debris dams and creating multiple channel conditions. These smaller, braided channels had greatly reduced water volume and therefore failed to support any fishery. Woodiebrook could no longer be a home for the brook trout, which need clean, cold, highly oxygenated water to survive and spawn.

These were the conditions Hudson faced. Before the trout disappeared completely, the Ohio Division of Wildlife captured as many remaining trout as possible and placed them in the state hatchery to preserve the genetics.

Hudson had a vision, to restore the stream channels and hydrology of Woodiebrook. By early 2000, he formed a “trout advisory council” that helped develop a restoration plan to restore the ability of Woodiebrook to support its native brook trout population.

The remaining trout from Woodiebrook were reproducing in the hatchery and needed to be returned to a natural habitat. The clock was ticking. Together they launched what is likely the first major attempt in Ohio at restoring a functional stream ecosystem to allow for the re-introduction of an extirpated or threatened species.

Design – Build approach made the project work

Oxbow utilizes a design-build approach with almost all of their projects. This eliminates lengthy up-front design costs and learning curves for both consultant and contractor. The strength of this approach starts with a multi-disciplinary method of data collection, assessment and conceptual design. “We don’t go to the field without the disciplines of engineering, biology and geomorphology” explains Phillips. “This approach allows for great flexibility, and encourages change based on the latest science and data,” Phillips added. "It also eliminates change orders and concentrates the responsibility and liability for project success within the team.Hudson was pleased with the approach. “What is unique about Oxbow’s approach is that these same personnel,the design team, then becomes the construction team who operate the bulldozers and track hoes to construct the project.” The initial design for the restored channels was based upon three basic components: natural channel design theory; data collected and analyzed during the design process; and pre-disturbed channel shape and location. Natural channel design focuses on re-establishing stable relationships among watershed hydrology, the channel shape and the floodplain or valley floor. Discharge data for various storm events was calculated from watershed size, soil types, and runoff characteristics using a Soil Conservation Service TR-55 model to create a hydraulic model.

Construction of In-Stream Habitat Features

Development of in-stream habitat may be the most important aspect to the recovery of Woodiebrook as a fishery. Groundwater flows, riffle/run/pool complexes, undercut banks and overhanging vegetation were constructed to provide immediate habitat niches for the fishery re-introduction.

Groundwater and interstitial flows were important considerations in shaping and grading channel areas. Once the valley was rough graded, the channel belt-width was over-excavated to accommodate the placement of unconsolidated substrate materials (sand and gravel) similar to the natural deposition that would have been found prior to disturbance.

Riffles, runs and pools were carefully constructed with regard to length, back slope and face gradient, and distribution of substrates. Careful attention was given to the spawning areas or “redds” to ensure upwelling.

Undercut banks were constructed to provide immediate cover and hiding areas for the trout. These features were constructed of root wads and thick sod mats of mature viburnum, gray dogwood, silky dogwood and nannyberry that were grubbed and transplanted from areas adjacent to the project. This provided immediate overhanging shade to the channel.

The project partners recognized early that restoring the riparian area would be key to the
overall success of the project. Shading and energy inputs from the riparian area adjacent to the channel are essential to maintain a fishery. The newly graded valley area was planted with more than 800 green ash, red maple, oak and arrowwood viburnum. These were 6-10 feet tall, balled and burlapped trees salvaged from a similar wet meadow site within five miles of the project. Sediment and erosion control was achieved by immediately stabilizing disturbed or completed areas using a mix of annual rye, winter wheat, oats, gamma oats and wild ryes. Additionally, warm season grasses and 20 species of forbs were sown on the site.

The fish return

The restoration work began in October 2000 and was completed in June 2001, months ahead of schedule. Before restoration activities were even complete, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources stocked 132 fingerlings in the upper western tributary. Immediately after completion of the project, an additional 800 fingerlings from the University School were stocked in early August 2001.

"The speed and degree of recovery observed in the macro-invertebrate community following the Woodiebrook restoration project was amazing," said the EPA's Paul Anderson. "The insect fauna recovered within months and provided a very stable food base, which allowed for brook trout re-introduction to the stream sooner than we anticipated."

On April 3, 2002,the Division of Wildlife seined the river and discovered that the trout had not only survived the winter, they were growing. Although biologist won't know until later this year if the trout reproduced, the experiment has been deemed a success.

"Growth rates and condition factors of the trout were extremely good following their re-introduction, indicating that the habitat restoration had succeeded and there will be a very high probability of success in re-establishing a reproducing population of brook trout in the stream," Anderson said.A restrictive conservation easement held by the CRLC prevents future development of the site and assures management as a high quality stream preserve. And that's fine with Terry Harmon, the University School biology teacher who first drew attention to the brook trout of northeastern Ohio. In the summer of 2002, Harmon stood hip-deep in a quiet pool on a tiny stream called Woodiebrook, wearing chest waders, a ball cap and a broad smile. A small, colorful fish wriggled in the folds of a seine that Harmon held just barely out of the water. At about 4 inches long, this fish is no trophy, but the fact that this fish has been netted in an Ohio stream represents a small victory in the struggle to save a fish that is a symbol of wild eastern rivers, a native species that survives where the water is clear and riverbanks are forested.

"They're amazing," Harmon says. "We don't know all the answers about them. We don't even know the right questions sometimes. But they've been hiding in these streams for 12,000 years."