Designing Graduate Curriculum for Stream Restoration

Vaughan Voller1, Chris Paola2, Karen Gran3, Deborah Hudleston4 and Karen Campbell4

1Department of Civil Engineering, NCED and SAFL, University of Minnesota2Department of Geology and Geophysics, NCED and SAFL, University of Minnesota

3Department of Geology, NCED University of Minnesota, Duluth4NCED and SAFL, University of Minnesota

Objective—

To outline ingredients in our 1 year post-baccalaureate certificate programHighlight elements in our curriculum that have been successful /worthwhile

Photos by Matt Kondolf

Steam Restoration is the manipulation of riparian corridors so as to improve geomorphic and ecological function

Our program objective is to produce graduates who understand how to blend engineering, physical, biological, and social sciences

in order to contribute to the process of prioritizing, designing, implementing, and evaluating stream restoration projects

Before !

After !

Strickland (Wes Lauer)

Our SRSE course is for student’s with backgrounds in: Civil engineering, Environmental Science, Geology, Ecology, Fisheries, Environment and Natural Resources, Water Resources, and Landscape Architecture.

Since the beginning of the program in 2006 we have graduated in excess of 20 students. Further the programs key-stone and cap-stone classes taught upwards of 50 students

Program Philosophy Emphasis on SR design based on analysis and prediction, not analogy.

The importance of placing SR projects in the watershed context.

Use of approaches that integrate ecology & geomorphology with engineering.

Emphasis on working with natural processes towards self-sustaining design.

The importance of using and integrating historical records.

The critical natures of problem identification, construction, and post restoration monitoring.

Recognition of the societal context –stakeholders interests, funding sources, regulations, cultural issues, etc.

First do no Harm

Structure: Introduction to Stream Restoration (3cr)

Choose 11-12 cr from courses offered in Four Theme areas

River and Flood Plain Science and Engineering Watershed Engineering

Mechanics of Sediment Transport

River & Floodplain EcologyRestoration and Reclamation Ecology Stream and River Ecology

Water Quality Environmental Water Chemistry

Analysis and Modeling of Aquatic Environments

Water Policy & Management Environmental Conflict Management, Leadership, and Planning

Water Resources: Individuals and Institutions

Stream Restoration Practice (2cr)

Introduction to Stream Restoration

An overview of stream restoration focusing on the main issues related to coupling the fields of civil engineering, ecology, geology and social science.

A broad inter disciplinary content: In the Fall 2010 offering topics in the intro class included

Fluvial GeomorphologyHydrology, River history & GIS,Open Channel Flow, Sediment TransportNutrient Cycle,Uncertainty, Post-Project Assessment

Some key elements in the Introduction Course

Early visit to a field site: Within the first two weeks of the class we have a ½ day field trip to an on-going SR site. We find that this provides an essential connection to practice before the main course content is covered.

Field skills: Later in the course there is more extensive one day field trip. Here the emphasis on obtaining measurements from the field and subsequently using these measurements in making calculations

Some key elements in the Introduction Course (cont)

Connection to practice: We have been fortunate to develop a very good working relationship with stream restoration professionals, in particular Marty Melchoir and Nick Nelson of Interfluve inc.—a leading North American river restoration design firm

Key Notes: We are very conscious of the need to provided our students a legacy from the intro course that will serve thru and beyond the reminder of the certificate program. One important legacy we refer to as “Key Notes.” Here the idea is to get the students to create a stream restoration guide or ready equations, “rules of thumb, and categorization information—on no more than four laminated sides of 8x11—that can provide an at hand guide in the field. Again to provide an illustration below is a “snippit” from the field guide prepared by Jon Schwenk in our 2010 class

Stream Res

Web Resources[1]http://waterdata.usgs.gov - Flow records[2]http://www.fsl.orst.edu/geowater/FX3/help/8_Hydraulic_Reference/Mannings_n_Tables.htm – Manning’s ‘n’ values for variety of conditions from Chow 1959[3]http://www.prairiemoon.com/cultural-guide/ - Native/Invasive plant ID tools[4]http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd_multizone_map.php - 2001 NLCD Land Use shapefiles[5]http://stream.fs.fed.us/news/streamnt/pdf/SN_10-96.pdf - Pavement/subpavement layer identification and discussion[6]http://www.ajdesigner.com/phpchezy/chezy_coefficient_equation.php - Chezy Coefficient calculator[7]http://resources.esri.com/arcgisonlineservices/index.cfm?fa=content – GIS basemaps, aerial photography[8]http://www.wsi.nrcs.usda.gov/products/w2q/strm_rst/stream.html – NRCS restoration design guide[9]http://seamless.usgs.gov/ - GIS coverage for United States incl. land cover, elevation, areials, etc.[10]http://ceres.ca.gov/foreststeward/html/bioengineering.html – Bioengineering methods and materials

Sediment TransportSome NotesTotal sediment transport plays a major (but poorly understood) role in setting channel width.Transport capacity changes can lead to erosion/deposition.Sediment size affects habitat suitability for many species..Are there any sources/sinks of sediment in the river system?

gDs-D

p

)( 1Re

)7.7(6.06.0

1006.022.0 p

pcReRe

Line of incipient motion

Motion

Motionless

after Brownlie (1983)

D = particle diameter (mm) s = sediment specific gravity ( ≈2.65)ν = kinematic viscosity = μ/ρ = 1.307E-6 m2/s at 10°C

Observe/measure size classes in stream. - How is sediment distributed longitudinally along the stream? - Is the distribution bi-modal? Gravel beds are usually bimodal; sand, unimodal. - Is there a distinct armoring or pavement layer [5]? - Does the sediment provide suitable habitat ie non- embedded gravel for fish, large sand/small gravel for mussels, etc.?

Will Sediment Move?

Hydraulics*C

orre

ction

s fo

r slo

pe a

vaila

ble

gRS 0

τ0 : boundary shear stressρ : fluid density (≈1000 kg/m3)g : gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s2)cf : drag coefficientu : flow speed ks : effective roughness height (D65 ~ D84)

20 uc f

2

130

ln5.2

sf k

hc

Shear Stress Equations

Manning’s Equation2/13/2 SR

n

ku

k = 1.0 m1/3/s = 1.486 ft1/3/sn : Manning’s roughness coefficient [2] n ≈ h1/6cf

1/2g-1/2

RSCu Chezy Equation

C : Chezy coefficient [6]n = Manning’s ‘n’

6/11Rn

C

EcologyImportant Considerations - Life-cycle of organisms - Spawning patterns and cycles of fish - Suitable depth and velocity regimes for target species - Barriers to organism passage - Food cycles within river system - Desirable temperature range

Skills test: We do not have a formal final in the course but rather have the students do a take home skills test. The objective here is to ensure that the student have picked up the critical basic calculation skills and an understanding of how engineering and science can be blended in an SR project. 1. The data in the attached Excel file give relative bed elevation and grain size data for a series of positions across a stream. 1.1. Find the theoretical rating curve for the section based on steady uniform flow AND1.2. Find the critical discharge for initiation of sediment movement in the section

2. Explain how residence time affects denitrification and how specific stream restoration design measures can affect residence time.

3. Although habitat requirements differ for different species, there are some physical habitat characteristics that are good for stream ecosystems in general. Discuss three such habitat characteristics and how they can be improved through restoration design.

Some Key Elements of Capstone Class Following the completion of the elective theme courses, to graduate from the program and gain a certificate, students are required to take a capstone practicum. This class typically operates over an intense two week span and contains a significant filed component.

There three main elements in the course.

Overview of theme course work: To begin the course, each students are required to make a 30 minute presentation on what they have seen as important SR contributions from the elective course work they have undertaken.

Critique and regarding of skills test: Beginning in our next offering of the capstone class we are going to require students to critique and re-grade the skills tests they prepared in the key-stone class. The objective here is for students to apply the new knowledge gained from their theme electives to update and modify their original understanding based on material presented in the intro class.

A

Design exercise: The core of the practicum is a field based design exercise. The purpose is to illustrate the key points in our SR philosophy; in particular the basis of design on calculation and the integration of the engineering with the relevant physical and life sciences Typically Multi-objective designs of real sites based around

* Physical (e.g., designs for morphological stability)

*Water Quality (e.g., designs fro reduction of nitrate), and

*Ecological (e.g., developing habitat for diverse species )

Concepts

Emphasis is placed on arriving at designs that are heavily underpinned with quantitative methods and tale account of the human dimension

Both a Report and Poster are prepared

Summary

With 20 + students graduated in 4 years the program can be considered aReasonable success— But we need some longitudinal studies to see how and if these students are impacting stream restoration practice

Copyright © Andrew Collison 2002

Photo from Alberta Fish Habitat Manual

Drawback—Broad range of core faculty expertise—long term successand sustainability will require a committed and diverse group of faculty

But the curriculum ideas and concepts presented here have proved effective and we Are keen to see others build and improve on them

http://personal.ce.umn.edu/~voller/talks.html