Stream restoration is a rapidly expanding and evolving science and understanding the nutrient, sediment, and habitat functions of individual stream segments has become increasingly technical. Many communities, particularly MS4 communities in the Chesapeake Bay region, are wrestling with how to develop cost-effective strategies to meet their water quality and impervious treatment goals and stream restoration is often a significant component. Unlike many other water quality BMPs, the benefits of stream restoration are largely based on the existing versus restored condition of the stream. Therefore, to identify, prioritize and understand the benefits associated with the restoration of individual stream reaches, some initial stream condition data needs to be collected.
The Center for Watershed Protection, in partnership with Ecosystem Planning and Restoration Inc. (EPR), assisted the York County Stormwater Consortium with evaluation of stream bank erosion rates on twelve stream reaches identified for restoration in York County, PA. The Bank Assessment for Non-point source Consequences of Sediment (BANCS) modeling approach was conducted at each of the stream locations and stream restoration credit was calculated following the Chesapeake Bay Program Stream Restoration Expert Panel report. At representative locations for each type of stream bank, bank profiles were also measured along with installation of bank pins. In total the Center and EPR assessed- using the BANCS methodology – 30,552 linear feet of stream and installed 24 bank profile locations.
These bank profile and pin locations will allow for the monitoring of annual pre-restoration bank erosion rates, which will help validate and refine the BANCS model data. Additionally, this data will contribute to a larger effort being coordinated by US Fish and Wildlife Service to develop bank erosion curves specific to the Chesapeake Bay watershed for use with the BANCS model. For more information, contact Bryan Seipp at bts@cwp.org.
