New England Culvert Project
10/17/2013
New England Culvert Project
Colin Lawson Project Coordinator Water in the Woods Presentation 10/17/2013 Protect Reconnect Restore Sustain
What we’ll cover today!
Overview of the New England Culvert Project
Strategy on how NECP prioritizes restorations
Project examples and a few do’s and don’ts
Collaboration: it is essential but takes time
Ideas Moving Forward
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Short & Long Term Goals
Restore In-stream Connectivity
Complete Stream Crossing Assessments
Improve Aquatic Habitat
Riparian Area Restoration
Population & Migration Monitoring
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A 1. New England Culvert Project C • White Mtn National Forest T • Green Mtn National Forest • Ashuelot River I • Westfield River V E 2. Upper Connecticut River Restoration Initiative • Priority Area 6 - Assessments / restorations
P 3. TU / NOAA Partnership • Working with TU Chapters to generate projects R • Review grant application O • Winnicut River Restoration J 4. Piscataquog River E • Culvert Assessment / Restoration Project C • Hydraulic Modeling Project
T 5. NRCS Wood Loading Projects (NH) S 4
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The New England Culvert Project
1. Open 60 miles of upstream habitat In High Priority watersheds
2. Remove, replace or retrofit 12 stream crossings
Engage stakeholder groups TU Chapter Participation Create long term commitment from watershed groups
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The key is to remove instream barriers to AOP...
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the restore up and down stream connectivity.
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We need to prepare for streams changing...
1979 dramatically over time! 1998 Photos courtesy of Dan Cenderelli, USFS 8
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We know lots of bad crossings exist...
the question is how do we change the model?
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Focus on Ecosystem Vulnerability
• Improve habitat connectivity
• Open up large number of stream miles
• Focus on species diversity & productivity
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Thompson Brook, Winnicut River, Greenland, NH
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Passage needs to work for all critters...
as well as stormwater hydraulics, ...and geomorphic functions!
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The Hourglass…
Undersized crossings erode both up- and downstream of crossing
Undersized Culvert
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Allow proper natural • Bankfull channel width and geomorphic • Flood plain access functions to exist... • Sediment transport
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Undersized culverts can severely impact the fisheries resource
1. Bed and/or bank erosion 2. Sedimentation 3. Nutrient/pollutant loading 4. Stream warming 5. Decrease/elimination of wood 6. Direct habitat loss
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Initial CT River Project Locations
• White Mountains Region, NH
• Green Mountains Region, VT
• Ashuelot River, NH
• Westfield River, MA
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Watershed Stats
Watershed Size Main Stem Major Existing (mi2 & Acres) (mi) Tributaries Crossings Upper 252 / 161,280 42 4 91 Ammonoosuc River
White River 710 / 454,400 56 5 600 +
Ashuelot River 425 / 272,000 64 11 1,097
Westfield River 519 / 332,160 78 3 1,156
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Ashuelot River Watershed Priority Culvert Restorations
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Ecological Metrics Used
1. Up/down stream barriers 10. Quality of stream habitat 2. Conserved lands 11. Rare / endangered species 3. Habitat integrity 12. Restoration expense 4. Hydrologic capacity 13. Severity of barrier 5. Impervious surfaces 14. Species presence / absence 6. Land cover 15. Stream channel flood risk 7. Land use 16. Stream flow regime 8. Natural communities 17. Town / State support 9. Up / down stream habitat 18. Water quality
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NHF&G Species presence / absence data
Trout Unlimited’s CSI Research Data
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Top Priority Assessment Areas Project (to date) Team’s Catchments Total 12
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ARLAC’s Catchments Total 13
Minnewawa Brook drainage area of 33.0 sq miles Pros: a about 1/2 falls within Q2C core and support areas b about 1/4 portion is conservation lands c presence of EBT from 2010 NHFG survey d a lot of NRCS projects completed e seven public access areas available Cons: f falls into Poor CSI category g also absence of EBT from 2010 NHFG survey
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Westfield River Watershed 1. Project team support from AR, TNC, MADER, and TU 2. Presently working to restore three high priority sites 3. Many active stakeholder groups including state, federal, and private 4. Pioneer Valley and Taconic TU Chapters actively involved
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GIS Co-occurrence Modeling
Zeroing in on restoration sites...
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Road Stream Crossing Overview
Westfield River Barriers Number Percent
Passable 209 19.8
Minor 176 16.6
Significant 358 33.9
Un-surveyed 313 29.6
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Kinne Brook Restoration Project
1 Dam 2 Culverts
Found Dam Using Google Earth Review
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Kinne Brook Barriers
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What we will restored…
Before TS Irene After TS Irene
to reconnect over 10 miles of upstream habitat.
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Finished August 18, 2011
Multi-plate Arch Culvert 50.6 inches long 10 feet wide 6 feet high
Upper Ammonoosuc River Loop Road Restoration Project White Mtn. National Forest
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It Takes a Lot of Time
Including all interested stakeholders Finding financial support through grant writing Organizing volunteers to work on field surveys ANOTHER MEETING ! Communicating with all stakeholders / landowners
Piscataquog River Stream Crossing Assessment Project
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Project Development / Support
• Piscataquog River Eastern Brook Trout Coalition Community Based Watershed Advocacy Organization
• Southern NH Planning Commission (SNHPC) Contracted with Trout Unlimited to Complete Assessments $ • NH Dept. of Environmental Services (NHDES) Administers Funds and Distributes to Regional Planning Commissions • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Resources (ARRAR) Clean Water Act – Section 604b Grant
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Developing Grid Based Field Maps
1:28,000
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Volunteer help from local and regional: 800 Hours 35 Field Days
• 15 TU Chapter Members • 5 Community Residents • 5 Graduate Students
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Watershed Size Sq Miles Acres Post Field Work 217 138,880 Visited 488 Assessed 418 Crossings by Catchment: Crossing by Catchment: Lower Piscataquog River 128 Lower Piscataquog 92 22% Middle Branch Piscataquog River 99 South Branch 78 19% South Branch Catchment 93 Middle Branch 73 17% Everett Lake Catchment 74 Everett Lake 62 15% Rand Brook Catchment 58 Rand Brook 48 11% Weare Reservoir 48 Weare Reservior 43 10% Upper Piscataquog River 27 Upper Piscataquog 22 5% Total 527 418 100%
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The AOP Model
MA Developed = VT borrowed from MA = NH Borrowed From VT
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Piscataquog River AOP Results
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Piscataquog River AOP Results
Culvert Types
200 180 160 178 176 140 120 Culvert 100 80
Condition Number of Crossings 60 40 20 39 17 8 0 New Old Rusted Collapsing Eroding 44
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Crossing Size as % of Bankfull Width
Outlet 34 % Condition
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Example of Output in Final Report to Towns
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Hydraulic Modeling Project $ 70,000 Research Grant
• Southern NH Planning Commission (SNHPC) Contracted with Trout Unlimited to Complete Assessments
• NH Dept. of Transportation (NHDOT) $ Administers Funds and Distributes to Regional Planning Commissions
• Federal Highway Administration Climate Change and Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessments and Adaptation Analysis
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Project team 1. Joel Ballestero, P.E.: Principal, Streamworks Engineering, 2. Tom Ballestero, Ph.D.: Director, UNH Stormwater Center 3. Colin Lawson: New England Culvert Project Coord.; Trout Unlimited 4. Michael Simpson: Dr., Environmental Studies Dept., Antioch University 5. Apollinaire William: Ph.D. Candidate, GIS Lab, Antioch University
Review Committee 1. Rick Chormann: State Geologist, New Hampshire Geological Survey 2. Dan Dauwalter, PhD, Fisheries Specialist, Science Team, Trout Unlimited 3. Scott Jackson, Director, NRCE Program, UMass, Amherst, MA 4. Keith Robinson: Hydrologist, Director, USGS NH-VT Water Science Ctr. 5. Ann M. Scholz, P.E.: Assistant Research Engineer, NHDOT 6. Jed Wright: Senior Fish & Wildlife Biologist, US Fish & Wildlife Service
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Excel Based Model Using Field and GIS Data
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Community Vulnerability Mapping
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High Quality Habitat Requires Water Depths Large Wood Water quality Cold Temperatures Riparian Vegetation
Structure Diversity
Gravel Substrate
In-stream Vegetation
Water Velocity
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Hand Placement
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Collaboration Is Key
Working With NRCS allowed us to access lots of private property
• Created 50 / 50 Cost Share Agreement to be able to do outreach and then access projects
• Billing landowner or WRP for work; charging 100% of installation costs
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Pierce Brook, Acworth, NH
Wood Installation – WHIP Project
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NRCS Conservation Programs Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
WRP Easement Restorations • 100 properties reviewed • 30 selected for wood loading
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Make Recommendations
• Reviewed properties • Selected priority sites • Prioritized restorations
Collaborate
• Invite landowners • Involved NHF&G • Hired local sawyers
Bow, NH - WRP Property - Priority 1
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Site visit review and then use report for permitting project.
Roughly: • 4 hours on site visits • 2 hours on reports
The future… 1) Continue AOP assessments 2) Develop hydraulic tool 3) Better prioritization method 4) Actively monitor project results 5) Continue to develop partnerships And of course, maintaining mental health by catching some big healthy fish!
Thanks Colin Lawson - Office: 603-228-2200
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