River Restoration: Ecological, Engineering and Social Dimentions

River restorations: the ecological, engineering, & social dimensions

Peter Levi, Research scientist, UW-Madison Dave Fowler, Senior project manager, Milwaukee Metro. Sewerage District Nadia Bogue, Environmental projects coordinator, 16th St. Comm. Health Center

Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Society for Ecological Restoration International

Prevalence •

Number of projects increasing exponentially

•

$14-15 billion spent on stream/river restoration from 19902005

Monitoring rare • 0, restoration increased metric • If L < 0, restoration decreased metric

Study streams span range of discharge 20 L s-1

19 L s-1

57 L s-1

95 L s-1

147 L s-1

195 L s-1

Do restorations alter hydrology? Flow (Q)

(A)

Main Channel (A) k1

Advection Dispersion

k2

Storage (As)

(1) Relative size of the storage zone (AS) to total stream area (A + AS) (2) Residence time of water in stream reach (TSTO)

Do restorations alter hydrology? 1.0

(A) AS / (A+AS)

Concrete Restoration

Log response ratio (L)

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

VLM

Water residence time (hr)

0.5

0.0

-0.5

-1.0

0.0 1.4

Headwaters Mid-order Large streams

SBH

HNY

WLP

UWD

KKR 2

(B) TSTO

1.2

Concrete: 5.1 ± 1.2 min Restored: 27.1 ± 10.6 min

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4

Log response ratio (L)

Relative size of storage zone

0.5

1

0

-1

0.2 0.0

-2

VLM

SBH

HNY

WLP

UWD

KKR

Do restorations improve urban stream ecosystems?

+

Physically? Restored reaches much more natural Chemically? Biologically?

Do restorations enhance nutrient processing rates? Nutrients in stream ecosystems spiral rather than cycle Conducted short-term nutrient additions of: NH4+ NO3PO43Uptake length (Sw): distance nutrient travels downstream

Do restorations enhance nutrient processing rates? Concrete Restoration

500

NO3

2500

-

2000

400 1500 300 1000 200 500

100

0

0

VLM

SBH

HNY

WLP

UWD

KKR

VLM

SBH

HNY

WLP

UWD

KKR 0.8

600

Log response ratio

SRP Spiraling length (SW; m)

Spiraling length (SW; m)

NH4

+

Headwaters Mid-order Large streams

500

0.6 0.4

400

0.2 0.0

300

-0.2

200

-0.4 100

-0.6 -0.8

0

VLM

SBH

HNY

WLP

UWD

KKR

NH4+

NO3-

SRP

Log response ratio (L)

Spiraling length (SW; m)

600

Do restorations improve urban stream ecosystems?

+ +

Physically? Restored reaches much more natural Chemically? Nutrients travel less in restored reaches Biologically?

Net ecosystem production (mg O2 m-2 min-1)

Methods: Whole stream metabolism modeling 6 4 2 0 -2

GPP

ER

-4 -6 -8 -10

24:00

6:00

12:00

18:00

24:00

6:00

GPP = autotrophic production ER = assimilation by heterotrophs

O2

Reaeration = gas exchange

Productivity high in urban streams, esp. restorations (1) Restored reaches have higher metabolism than concrete channels

25

-2

-1

GPP (gO2 m d )

20

15

10

Headwaters Mid-order Large streams

5

0 0

5

10

15 -2

-1

ER (gO2 m d )

20

25

Productivity high in urban streams, esp. restorations (1) Restored reaches have higher metabolism than concrete channels (2) Distinct patterns by stream size; larger streams = more productivity (3) Headwaters have natural metabolism 100

10

-2

-1

GPP (gO2 m d )

25

-2

-1

GPP (gO2 m d )

20

15

1

= GPP

ER

0.1

0.01 Data from Marcarelli et al. (2011) Data from Levi et al. (2013)

0.001 0.1

10

1

10

ER (gO2 m-2 d-1)

Headwaters Mid-order Large streams

5

0 0

5

10

15 -2

-1

ER (gO2 m d )

20

25

100

Do restorations improve urban stream ecosystems?

+ + -

Physically? Restored reaches much more natural Chemically? Nutrients travel less in restored reaches Biologically? High algae  unnaturally high metabolism

Do restorations improve urban stream ecosystems?

Ecologically, the stream restorations in Milwaukee effectively alter channel hydrology, which has cascading impacts on some* ecosystem functions, especially in small headwater streams.

Thank you. Questions? plevi @ wisc.edu

Acknowledgments Evan Childress, Matt Diebel, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Dave Fowler, Ellen Hamann, Dave Harring, Adam Hinterthuer, Lauren Holtz, Carol Jenkins-Espinosa, Thomas Johengen, Melanie Kohls, Aaron Koning, Marilyn Larsen, Tom Levi, Luke Loken, Alyssa Luckey-Winters, Chris Magruder, Matt Magruder, Ryan McGuire, Tom Neeson, Kelly O’Ferrell, Liz Runde, Larissa Sano, Beth Sauer, Tom Slawski, & Emily Stanley

From 1820 to 2000, more than 300,000 miles of streams and rivers were channelized (altered) Milwaukee has over 23 miles of concrete channels

• Less water (base flow) and sediment transport alterations • Loss of channel bed diversity (habitat) • Increased incision and widening (erosion) • Loss of aquatic species and diversity • Disconnection from Floodplain

Restoring lost functions OR Restoring to a predisturbed condition

Source: Michael Baker Corporation

“Restoration means the manipulation of the

physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of a site with the goal of returning natural/historic functions to a former or degraded aquatic resource.” (33 C.F.R. § 332/40) • Re-establishment • Restoration • Rehabilitation (Urban Areas)

• Reduce Flood Risk • Improve Public Safety (Drowning) • Stream Rehabilitation (In-Stream Habitat) • Community Objectives (Create a Community Asset)

• • • • • • •

Offset the loss of significant habitat Improve Linear Connectivity (Fish Passage) Restore degraded ecosystem (physical and chemical) Improve natural stream functions Improve richness and abundance of native plants, fish and wildlife Improve water quality through habitat and riparian floodplain rehabilitation Resilience and Sustainability

First Project Drop Structure removal Project Completed 2000

26

Lincoln Creek Before

After

•

Channel Flows • • •

•

Channel Stability • •

•

Urban Issues (Flashiness, and flow volume) Grade Control (Meander Prevention) Habitat Limitations Limited Cross Sections Public Infrastructure

Vegetation • • • • •

Size (linear corridors problematic) Bio Diversity (goals need to be realistic) Invasive Species Long Term Maintenance Flood Plain Connectivity (inundation Frequency)

Lost Wetlands

Kinnickinnic River Year 1836 Vs Year 2009 (Increased Stream Chanel Miles)

Slide Courtesy of Tom Slawski

KK River Historic Channel Before Concrete Channel (channelization already evident)

32

• Has a century of work in flood control resulted in an outcome that we would wish to continue into the future in its current form? • Should we be concerned about the extent and condition of our floodplain and coastal resources? • How do we adapt to a changing world (climate, population, economies…)?

Rethinking the Kinnickinnic  River: A Community Perspective Nadia Bogue Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers April 30, 2015

Restoration: A Community  Perspective

• Changing from an underused and undesirable space to a  place that CONNECTS the community   • Creating a common bond through a shared resource

Sixteenth Street Community  Health Centers To improve the health and well‐being of Milwaukee  and surrounding communities, by providing quality,  patient‐centered, family‐based health care, health  education and social services, free from linguistic,  cultural and economic barriers.

Department of Environmental  Health • Understand and address the root causes of poor health that are tied to  the environmental and physical conditions of the neighborhoods  served by SSCHC • Network of public, private, and nonprofit sector organizations • Work to bring about improvements in the built and natural  environments of Milwaukee’s south side

Our Clients • Over 33,000 clients served  annually • 85% identify as Latino • 66% live below the federal  poverty level • 52% are under the age of 20 • 41% have no high school  diploma

Rivers and Lakes as Investment Drivers

Menomonee Valley

Downtown River Walk

Hart Park Milwaukee River Greenway

Unique Opportunity • Achieve ecological goals • Achieve MMSD goals • Going further by incorporating and embracing those drivers  in order to identify and capitalize on other objectives that  will improve the community in the short and long term.

Creating Community Assets: Green Infrastructure

Creating Community Assets: Environmental Education

Creating Community Assets: Improving Green Space

Creating Community Assets: Kinnickinnic River Trail

Creating Community Assets: Culture of Stewardship

Photo Credit: Eddee Daniel

Restoration At A Deeper Level • Restoration is not only happening from an environmental  perspective in our community.  We are working with  residents to connect them to each other, a new green space,  and an invaluable natural resource. • It is everyone’s responsibility to play a part in ensuring that  our communities, rivers, and lakes can sustain the next  generations of Milwaukeeans. • Drive investments, improvements, and stakeholder  engagement in an area that has historically been  underserved. • In order to address SSCHC’s health mission both  environmental and community issues need to be addressed.

Thank you to our staff,  community members,  partners, and funders.   This work would not  be possible  without you all!

River restorations: the ecological, engineering, & social dimensions

Peter Levi, Research scientist, UW-Madison Dave Fowler, Senior project manager, Milwaukee Metro. Sewerage District Nadia Bogue, Environmental projects coordinator, 16th St. Comm. Health Center