Wheaton Ecogeomorphology & Topographic Analysis Lab @ Fluvial Habitats Center
  • Home
    • Fluvial Habitats Center
    • Wheaton et al (Lab)
    • Bouwes ELR Lab
    • News & Annoucements
    • New FHC Publications
    • FHC Location
    • FHC Factsheets & Posters
    • Contact
  • People
    • People in the Lab... Coming & Going
    • Graduate Students >
      • Lauren Herbine
      • Karen Bartelt
    • Research Staff >
      • Research Scientists >
        • Joe Wheaton
        • Nicolaas Bouwes
        • Wally Macfarlane
        • Stephen Bennett
      • Technicians >
        • Cashe Rasmussen
        • Chalese Hafen
        • Dylan Baum >
          • Brian Ferrara
    • Where are they now? >
      • Former Graduate Students >
        • Sara Bangen
        • Reid Camp
        • Florence Consolati
        • Daniel Hamill
        • Konrad Hafen
        • James Hensleigh
        • Nate Hough-Snee
        • Alan Kasprak
        • Martha Jensen
        • Ryan Lokteff
        • Connor Penrod
        • Rebecca Rossi
        • Sonya Welsh
      • Research Scientists >
        • Sara Bangen
        • James Hensleigh
        • Natalie Kramer
        • Pete McHugh
        • Elijah Portugal
        • Carl Saunders
        • Eric Wall
        • Gary O'Brien
      • Post-Docs >
        • Nicole Czarnomski
      • Technicians >
        • Micael Albonico
        • Braden Anderson
        • Adan Banda
        • Jordan Burningham
        • Kenny Demeurichy
        • Taylor Dudunake
        • Martha Jensen
        • Joshua Gilbert
        • Jordan Gilbert
        • Thomas Hafen
        • Landon Haycock
        • Matt Meier
        • Chris Smith
        • Geoff Stevens
      • Visiting Scholars >
        • Ester Ramos
  • FHC Projects
    • Current Projects >
      • Beaver Dam Censusing
      • Birch Creek Restoration
      • Escalante Watershed
      • BRAT 2018-2019 >
        • BRAT-Yakama
        • BRAT-John Day
        • BRAT-NF Burnt River
        • BRAT-Idaho
        • BRAT-Utah
        • BRAT-TNC
        • BRAT-GYA
        • Survey123
      • ELR: Asotin LWD Restoration and IMW
      • Price River Channel Analysis
    • Past Projects >
      • BLM >
        • BLM: Historic Sand Cliff Signatures Public Archeology Program
      • DOE: ICRRR >
        • DOE/ICRRR: Geomorphic Change Detection 4.0 Software Development
        • DOE/ICRRR: Geomorphic Change Detection in the Grand Canyon
        • DOE/ICRRR: MoRPHED PhD Studentship
      • Idaho Power Company >
        • Idaho Power: TLS Data Analysis
      • ELR >
        • ELR/BPA: CHaMP Grand Ronde Crew Variability Study
        • ELR/BPA: ISEMP Lemhi Topographic Survey Technique Intercomparison
        • ELR/BPA: ISEMP Bridge Creek Restoration & IMW
        • ELR/FHC/CTWS: Pine Creek Beaver Assisted Restoration Pilot Project
      • NSF >
        • NSF: zCloudTools: Making Point Clouds Useful for Earth Science
        • NSF: Sensitivity of Braided River Morphodynamics to Sediment Supply
      • UDWR >
        • UDWR: Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT)
      • USFS >
        • USFS Classification of Columbia River Basin Riparian Vegetation
        • USFS: Comparison of Traditional Versus Ground-Based LiDaR Instream Haibtat Assessments
        • USFS: Temple Fork Watershed Fish & Beaver Ecology
      • USGS >
        • USGS: Big Rivers Monitoring Protocol Development
        • USGS: Dynamism and Persistence of Eddy Sand Bars in Grand Canyon
        • USGS: Riparian Vegetation Analysis
        • USGS: Support in Geographic and Geomorphic Information Analysis for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
      • Other Sponsors (one off) >
        • BPA/SFR: Development of CHaMP Transformation Tool
        • GCT: Pilot Study: Testing the Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT)
        • NOAA: Linking Fisheries,
        • NPS: Assessment of Indicator Sites
        • USU: Tracking Ecogeomorphic Dynamics in Beaver Dam Complexes
    • Study Site Pages >
      • Bridge Creek >
        • 2009 BDSS Structures
        • Bridge Creek April 2010 Drone Survey
      • River Feshie >
        • The River Feshie Catchment
        • Our Research
        • The Team
        • Posters, Papers, & More
        • Photo Gallery
  • Resources
    • ETAL Reading Group >
      • ETAL Reading Group Zotero Library
    • Courses & Workshops >
      • Courses & Workshops by Joe
    • Guides & Tips >
      • Figure Preparation Tutorials
      • Basic Computing Tips & Tricks >
        • Database & SQL Intro
        • Batch Unzip Script
        • Get a QR Code
        • GeoJSON
        • Markdown
        • Special Characters
        • USU VPN
      • GIS Help >
        • ArcGIS Education Edition
        • GIS Data Sources >
          • Connecting To The APFO Services
          • Connecting to the Utah AGRC Discover Imagery and Base Map Server
          • High Resolution Imagery for Utah State
      • How to Use Specific Software >
        • Adobe Illustrator >
          • Making GCD Figures for ET-AL Lab Using ArcGIS & Adobe Illustrator
        • ArcGIS Desktop - ArcMap >
          • GIS Tutorials
          • Creating DEMs, TINs and Terrains
          • How to divide polylines into a specified segment length
          • Simple Change Detection in ArcGIS
          • Working with Styles in ArcGIS
          • Fixing ActiveX Warning in ArcGIS 10.5
        • Box >
          • Migrating to Box Drive from Box Sync
        • EndNote >
          • EndNote X4 Basics
        • FastStone Capture
        • GitHub >
          • Make a GitHub Account
        • Picasa >
          • Geotagging images & making albums
        • Word >
          • Saving Word Documents as PDFs
          • Using Styles Effectively in Manuscripts & Reports
        • Zotero >
          • Adding from Browser
          • Cite-While-you-Write >
            • Citing in Google Docs
            • Cite in Word
      • Reccomended Software & Utilities
      • Surveying & Geomatics >
        • rtkGPS
      • Writing Resources >
        • Writing Literature Reviews (for Grads)
        • Writing Scientific Papers
        • Uploading Content to Research Gate
    • Lab Members Only >
      • Internal Resources >
        • When you First Start
        • Standard Software Suite
        • Lab Software License
        • Virtual Computing
        • Editing Workshop Flyers & Webpages
        • Travel
        • Vignettes
      • Internal FHC Announcements
      • FHC Workshops
      • ETAL Projects on Box
      • ETAL Non Project on Box
    • River Links >
      • Classification Schemes >
        • Eco-Geo-Hydro Mess
      • Free Literature
      • Rivers in the News
      • Videos & Galleries
  • Joe Wheaton

ELR/FHC/CTWS: Pine Creek Beaver Assisted Restoration Pilot Project

Picture
​Project Type:  Contracted Pilot Project
Project Sponsor:  Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, OR
Project Location: Pine Creek within the Lower John Day Watershed, Oregon
Status:   Completed (January 2015)

project overview

pilot

Eco Logical Research Inc. (ELR) in conjunction with the Fluvial Habitat Center designed and implemented a pilot restoration project for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS), located on the lower 15 km. section of Pine Creek, which is part of the John Day watershed. As part of this effort, a scoping report was also produced which provides geomorphic, hydrologic, and beaver capacity assessment to inform the restoration work. The goal of the Pine Creek pilot project is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of two types of restoration actions: Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs) and High-Density Large Woody Debris (HDLWD).
​


Picture
The restoration pilot project aims to show the potential for in-stream and riparian habitat restoration along the lower, incised portion of Pine Creek. As such, the placement of restoration structures is in three distinct areas where groups of structures (i.e., complexes) work with each other to promote improvements in the channel and floodplain. Each complex and each structure within the complex possess specific design hypothesis dependent on the current geomorphic and hydrologic condition. The geomorphic and hydrologic assessment completed as part of the scoping effort provided the necessary information on condition and recovery potential to inform the placement and design objectives of the pilot complexes (see scoping document).Each complex consists of a mix of five individual BDAs and HDLWD structures.​​

scoping


This report, contracted by CTWS, inventories the existing geomorphic conditions and recovery potential of the Pine Creek Watershed. It lays out a strategic plan for restoration actions to inform a future detailed design plan. The report presents the results of a hydrologic and geomorphic assessment using a simplified version of the River Styles framework (Brierley and Fryirs, 2005). This data informed the condition and recovery potential assessment presented herein. Additionally, the results of a Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT):  analysis presents assessments of existing and potential beaver dam building capacities in the Pine Creek Watershed.

Picture
The synthesis of this information into the strategic restoration plan, offers a simple and cost-effective treatment which seeks to partner with the small existent beaver population. It aims to restore geomorphic, hydrologic, and ecological processes which will improve the habitat for aquatic and riparian biota within the incised portions of lower Pine Creek. BDAs and HDLWD structures will produce many of the same benefits as natural beaver dams and achieve other restoration objectives (e.g., provide stable locations for beaver to establish persistent complexes, restore surface water connectivity, etc.).
The strategic restoration plan is not a detailed design plan, but provides recommendations for restoration objectives, priorities, and reach-types throughout the mainstem of Pine Creek. Finally, recommendations also highlight details for maintaining restoration structures and complexes within an adaptive management framework.

significance of project

  • This project is one of only a handful of pilot beaver-assisted restoration projects ever implemented.
  • Beaver-assisted restoration has not been tried on a deeply incised, small stream with limited stream power.
  • Opportunity to transfer knowledge to our project collaborator (CTWS). The CTWS intend to implement this restoration approach over a large scale on their managed lands within the John Day Watershed.
  • Development of a rapid assessment of geomorphic condition and recovery potential using a scaled back version of the River Styles framework.

pine creek project area

project outputs

​Presentations from this Project
  • Poster: Portugal, E., Hough-Snee, N., Sorenson, K., Karoglanian, A., Wheaton J.M., Bouwes, N. 2014. Partnering with Beaver in River Restoration: Case Studies from Oregon and Utah. Restoring The West Conference, October 21-22, 2014, Logan, UT
Publications from this Project
  • Portugal, E., Wheaton, JM., Bouwes, N. 2015 Pine Creek Watershed Design Report for Pilot Restoration. Prepared for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Logan, Utah, 28 pp.
  • Portugal, E., Wheaton, JM., Bouwes, N. 2015 Pine Creek Watershed Scoping Plan for Restoration. Prepared for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Logan, Utah, 53 pp.

Project Details

Project PI:  Joseph Wheaton, Nick Bouwes
Project Personnel from ET-AL: Elijah Portugal, Jake Wirtz, Nick Weber
Project Collaborators: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Funding Source: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Project Start Date:  May, 2014
Project End Date: Jan, 2015 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
This work is licensed under a
​ 
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
  • Home
    • Fluvial Habitats Center
    • Wheaton et al (Lab)
    • Bouwes ELR Lab
    • News & Annoucements
    • New FHC Publications
    • FHC Location
    • FHC Factsheets & Posters
    • Contact
  • People
    • People in the Lab... Coming & Going
    • Graduate Students >
      • Lauren Herbine
      • Karen Bartelt
    • Research Staff >
      • Research Scientists >
        • Joe Wheaton
        • Nicolaas Bouwes
        • Wally Macfarlane
        • Stephen Bennett
      • Technicians >
        • Cashe Rasmussen
        • Chalese Hafen
        • Dylan Baum >
          • Brian Ferrara
    • Where are they now? >
      • Former Graduate Students >
        • Sara Bangen
        • Reid Camp
        • Florence Consolati
        • Daniel Hamill
        • Konrad Hafen
        • James Hensleigh
        • Nate Hough-Snee
        • Alan Kasprak
        • Martha Jensen
        • Ryan Lokteff
        • Connor Penrod
        • Rebecca Rossi
        • Sonya Welsh
      • Research Scientists >
        • Sara Bangen
        • James Hensleigh
        • Natalie Kramer
        • Pete McHugh
        • Elijah Portugal
        • Carl Saunders
        • Eric Wall
        • Gary O'Brien
      • Post-Docs >
        • Nicole Czarnomski
      • Technicians >
        • Micael Albonico
        • Braden Anderson
        • Adan Banda
        • Jordan Burningham
        • Kenny Demeurichy
        • Taylor Dudunake
        • Martha Jensen
        • Joshua Gilbert
        • Jordan Gilbert
        • Thomas Hafen
        • Landon Haycock
        • Matt Meier
        • Chris Smith
        • Geoff Stevens
      • Visiting Scholars >
        • Ester Ramos
  • FHC Projects
    • Current Projects >
      • Beaver Dam Censusing
      • Birch Creek Restoration
      • Escalante Watershed
      • BRAT 2018-2019 >
        • BRAT-Yakama
        • BRAT-John Day
        • BRAT-NF Burnt River
        • BRAT-Idaho
        • BRAT-Utah
        • BRAT-TNC
        • BRAT-GYA
        • Survey123
      • ELR: Asotin LWD Restoration and IMW
      • Price River Channel Analysis
    • Past Projects >
      • BLM >
        • BLM: Historic Sand Cliff Signatures Public Archeology Program
      • DOE: ICRRR >
        • DOE/ICRRR: Geomorphic Change Detection 4.0 Software Development
        • DOE/ICRRR: Geomorphic Change Detection in the Grand Canyon
        • DOE/ICRRR: MoRPHED PhD Studentship
      • Idaho Power Company >
        • Idaho Power: TLS Data Analysis
      • ELR >
        • ELR/BPA: CHaMP Grand Ronde Crew Variability Study
        • ELR/BPA: ISEMP Lemhi Topographic Survey Technique Intercomparison
        • ELR/BPA: ISEMP Bridge Creek Restoration & IMW
        • ELR/FHC/CTWS: Pine Creek Beaver Assisted Restoration Pilot Project
      • NSF >
        • NSF: zCloudTools: Making Point Clouds Useful for Earth Science
        • NSF: Sensitivity of Braided River Morphodynamics to Sediment Supply
      • UDWR >
        • UDWR: Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT)
      • USFS >
        • USFS Classification of Columbia River Basin Riparian Vegetation
        • USFS: Comparison of Traditional Versus Ground-Based LiDaR Instream Haibtat Assessments
        • USFS: Temple Fork Watershed Fish & Beaver Ecology
      • USGS >
        • USGS: Big Rivers Monitoring Protocol Development
        • USGS: Dynamism and Persistence of Eddy Sand Bars in Grand Canyon
        • USGS: Riparian Vegetation Analysis
        • USGS: Support in Geographic and Geomorphic Information Analysis for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
      • Other Sponsors (one off) >
        • BPA/SFR: Development of CHaMP Transformation Tool
        • GCT: Pilot Study: Testing the Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT)
        • NOAA: Linking Fisheries,
        • NPS: Assessment of Indicator Sites
        • USU: Tracking Ecogeomorphic Dynamics in Beaver Dam Complexes
    • Study Site Pages >
      • Bridge Creek >
        • 2009 BDSS Structures
        • Bridge Creek April 2010 Drone Survey
      • River Feshie >
        • The River Feshie Catchment
        • Our Research
        • The Team
        • Posters, Papers, & More
        • Photo Gallery
  • Resources
    • ETAL Reading Group >
      • ETAL Reading Group Zotero Library
    • Courses & Workshops >
      • Courses & Workshops by Joe
    • Guides & Tips >
      • Figure Preparation Tutorials
      • Basic Computing Tips & Tricks >
        • Database & SQL Intro
        • Batch Unzip Script
        • Get a QR Code
        • GeoJSON
        • Markdown
        • Special Characters
        • USU VPN
      • GIS Help >
        • ArcGIS Education Edition
        • GIS Data Sources >
          • Connecting To The APFO Services
          • Connecting to the Utah AGRC Discover Imagery and Base Map Server
          • High Resolution Imagery for Utah State
      • How to Use Specific Software >
        • Adobe Illustrator >
          • Making GCD Figures for ET-AL Lab Using ArcGIS & Adobe Illustrator
        • ArcGIS Desktop - ArcMap >
          • GIS Tutorials
          • Creating DEMs, TINs and Terrains
          • How to divide polylines into a specified segment length
          • Simple Change Detection in ArcGIS
          • Working with Styles in ArcGIS
          • Fixing ActiveX Warning in ArcGIS 10.5
        • Box >
          • Migrating to Box Drive from Box Sync
        • EndNote >
          • EndNote X4 Basics
        • FastStone Capture
        • GitHub >
          • Make a GitHub Account
        • Picasa >
          • Geotagging images & making albums
        • Word >
          • Saving Word Documents as PDFs
          • Using Styles Effectively in Manuscripts & Reports
        • Zotero >
          • Adding from Browser
          • Cite-While-you-Write >
            • Citing in Google Docs
            • Cite in Word
      • Reccomended Software & Utilities
      • Surveying & Geomatics >
        • rtkGPS
      • Writing Resources >
        • Writing Literature Reviews (for Grads)
        • Writing Scientific Papers
        • Uploading Content to Research Gate
    • Lab Members Only >
      • Internal Resources >
        • When you First Start
        • Standard Software Suite
        • Lab Software License
        • Virtual Computing
        • Editing Workshop Flyers & Webpages
        • Travel
        • Vignettes
      • Internal FHC Announcements
      • FHC Workshops
      • ETAL Projects on Box
      • ETAL Non Project on Box
    • River Links >
      • Classification Schemes >
        • Eco-Geo-Hydro Mess
      • Free Literature
      • Rivers in the News
      • Videos & Galleries
  • Joe Wheaton