As the Americans have become more aware of the impact to the environment from the human induced disturbances which includes physical, chemical and biological disturbances to the degradation of streams and rivers, many studies and experiments have been done in an attempt to restore streams and rivers to more natural conditions. At the same time, success in public education and community involvement has encouraged grass-root movements that engage people in stream restoration efforts. Stroubles Creek is a freshwater stream located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The creek has experienced considerable disturbance due to land use changes over the past 100 years. The Stroubles Creek Water Initiative (SCWI), originated by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center at Virginia Tech, has been monitoring the creek for a number of years. This paper develops a planning framework for restoring and/or rehabilitating Stroubles Creek within the Town of Blacksburg. The results of stream monitoring and other research by SCWI are used to inform the recommended planning process, while a literature review and discussion of “urban stream restoration case studies” are used to guide future decision-making related to Stroubles Creek restoration/rehabilitation. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

The objective of this study was to characterize water quality and hydrologic properties of urban streams in the Richmond metropolitan area. Water quality data were analyzed for six urban sites and two non-urban sites. Geomorphological surveys and conservative tracer studies were performed at four urban sites and one non-urban site to describe intra- and inter- site variability in transient storage, channel geomorphology, and related hydrologic parameters. Urban sites showed elevated concentrations of nitrogen and more variable TSS concentrations relative to reference sites. Urban channels were deeply incised with unstable banks and low sinuosity. Little Westham Creek exhibited the greatest transient storage. This site was characterized by large, deep pools and therefore it is likely that transient storage was associated with surface water storage. Transient storage was low at all other sites, particularly for the study reach at Reedy Creek, which flowed through a concrete channel. Lowest transient storage was observed at this site in spring, though higher values were measured in summer corresponding to the presence of biofilms, A lower, more naturalized section of the concrete channel was found to have greater transient storage suggesting the possibility of passive restoration of concrete channels in urban environments. This study documents variability in the structure and function of urban streams. Restoration projects should work to improve impairments that are specific to each site at both the reach and watershed scale to maximize the efficacy of restoration.

While restoring hyporheic flowpaths has been cited as a benefit to stream restoration structures, little documentation exists confirming that constructed restoration structures induce hyporheic exchange comparable to natural stream features. This study compares a stream restoration structure (cross-vane) to a natural feature (riffle) concurrently in the same stream reach using time-lapsed electrical resistivity (ER) tomography. Using this hydrogeophysical approach, I am able to quantify hyporheic extent and transport beneath the cross-vane structure and riffle. I interpret from the geophysical data that the cross-vane and natural riffle induced spatially and temporally unique hyporheic extent and transport, and the cross-vane created both spatially larger and temporally longer hyporheic flowpaths than the natural riffle. Tracer from the 4.67-hr injection was detected along flowpaths for 4.6-hrs at the cross-vane and 4.2-hrs at the riffle. The spatial extent of the hyporheic zone at the cross-vane was 12% larger than at the riffle. I compare ER results of this study to vertical fluxes calculated from temperature profiles and conclude significant differences in the interpretation of hyporheic transport from these different field techniques. Results of this study demonstrate a high degree of heterogeneity in transport metrics at both the cross-vane and riffle and significant differences between the hyporheic flowpath networks at the two different features. Our results suggest that restoration structures may be capable of creating sufficient exchange flux and residence times to achieve the same ecological functions as natural features, but engineering of the physical and biogeochemical environment may be necessary to realize those benefits.

Abstract not available

A constructed wetland was built in southern Taiwan in 2007 for local stream water purification and ecosystem improvement. The inflow rate was approximately 1,350 m3/day. The wetland influents were mainly from the local streams containing secondary wastewater from hog farms located in the upper catchment of the wetland and drainage water from the farmlands. The influent water contained organic contaminants and nutrients, which needed to be removed. The mean measured hydraulic loading rate, hydraulic retention time, water depth, and total volume of wetland system were 0.1 m/day, 5.5 days, 0.7 m, and 7,800 m3, respectively. In this study, water, sediment, and plant samples were collected and analyzed quarterly for each wetland basin during the two-year investigation period. Results show that more than 77% of total coliforms (TC), 78% of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), 88% of total nitrogen (TN), and 96% of ammonia nitrogen were removed via the constructed wetland system. Thus, the wetland system has a significant effect on water quality improvement and is able to remove most of the pollutants from the local stream through natural attenuation mechanisms. Results from the ecological investigation show that more than 50 different plant species and 45 different animal species were observed in the wetland system although this wetland had been created for less than four years. Except for stream water quality improvement and rehabilitating the natural ecosystem, this wetland also offered more water assessable eco-ponds and eco-gardens for public. This constructed wetland has become one of the most successful multi-function constructed wetlands in Taiwan.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on May 6, 2009) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-67). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

Thesis (MS)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2009. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Duncan T. Patten. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-131).

Wetlands and streams provide many ecosystem services, yet many of these services have been lost during the process of surface mining. It is often not practical to avoid wetlands and streams, and newer technologies such as large draglines have made it possible to mine through large perennial streams and their associated riparian wetland systems. Laws such as the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and Clean Water Act require the restoration of these systems in approximately the same location and configuration as before mining, but do not address the long-term replacement of function. In Perry County, Illinois, three stream segments of Bonnie Creek, Galum Creek, and Pipestone Creek and their associated riparian wetland systems were among the largest ever restored following surface mining. The research objective was to determine whether or not function was restored in the three aforementioned streams and riparian wetlands following surface mining reclamation. Wetland soil properties, vegetation, and hydrology at study sites along Bonnie and Galum Creeks were compared to that of nearby natural wetlands and across a chronosequence of soil age. Water quality was assessed [alkalinity, chloride (Cl), fluoride (Fl), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), nitrate (NO3), sulfate (SO4), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total suspended solids (TSS)] in the three restored streams for post restoration trends over time and along the length of the restored channels. Deep basins, called incline pits, were located inline of all three restored channels and are unique to streams restored on surface mines. Stream samples were collected above and below incline pits during storm events to evaluate their ability to reduce sediment concentrations. Two types of wetlands were found at the mine site: mined planned wetlands (MPWs) that had deeper water and fewer or no trees, and mined bottomland forested wetlands (MBFWs) with more shallow water depths and many trees. Significant differences were found between the two wetland types among soil properties, vegetation, and hydrology. Unlike most studies comparing wetlands restored on non-mined sites to natural wetlands, SOM, C, N, and C/N ratio in the surface 15 cm in the MBFWs were not significantly different from the natural wetlands, indicating restoration of function. Plant taxa richness was higher in both mined wetland types than in the natural wetlands at lower elevation sample points where inundation was seasonal. Overall, the mined wetlands also retained water within 30 cm of the surface for more time than the natural wetlands. However, not all function was fully regained in the mined wetlands. Several soil properties were significantly different in the mined wetlands compared to the natural wetlands. SOM, N and the C/N ratio was significantly lower in the 15-30 cm depth, and in the surface 15 cm of the lower elevation samples of the MPW. Soil texture was significantly different in the MPW. There was more sand and less silt. Plan taxa richness was also lower in the higher elevation sample points of the MPW due to the presence of the invasive Phragmites australis. Few trends were found in the soil properties across a chronosequence of soil age. Only pH showed a significant negative linear trend in both mined wetland types across soil age. Assessment of the water chemistry of the restored streams showed that for some parameters, water quality remained stable or improved with distance or time along the restored streams. However, along Bonnie and Galum Creek, a significant positive trend was seen by length of relocated channel in SO4, Fe, Mn, Zn, TDS, conductivity, and Cl. On the other hand, at Pipestone Creek, significant negative trends were evident in TDS, Mn, water temperature, conductivity, and SO4 levels over time or along the length of the relocated channel. Trends along the length of the Pipestone Creek were only found in monitoring conducted twenty years after the channel relocation was complete. Sediment concentration above and below the incline pits inline of Bonnie and Galum Creek were not significantly different based on the sampling of two storm events. An additional input from an agricultural drainage ditch to the Bonnie Pit increased sediment concentrations at the downstream sample point counteracting the reductions that were seen in the Galum pit. Research on the mined stream and riparian systems indicated that reclamation of wetlands and streams to a stable or condition similar to a natural system is possible and sets a standard for future mining operations to follow. However, several shortcomings were identified. Reduced levels of SOM and soil N in the MPWs in the surface 15 cm of the lower sample points may have been the result of longer periods of inundation that reduced nitrification and vegetation recruitment. SOM, soil N, and the C/N ratio in the 15-30 cm depth were lower in the mined wetlands suggesting that these properties take longer to recover at deeper depths, but the significant linear trend in pH show that soil in the deeper strata is changing with time. Invasion by P. Australis reduced taxa richness suggesting that invasive plants are still a problem even more than twenty years after restoration. In addition, the increase in conductivity and SO4 downstream of a visible seep in Bonnie Creek highlight the potential for contaminated groundwater to affect surface water. More consideration should be given to reclaiming not just the surface and subsoils, but also the deeper water bearing strata to ensure that surface water chemistry is not impacted by mining.

More than a billion dollars are spent annually on stream restoration in the United States (Bernhardt et al., 2005), but the science remains immature. A promising technique for estimating a single or range of design discharges is the generalization of a parsimonious conceptual continuous simulation model. In this study the Probability Distributed Model (PDM), was generalized for the Maryland and Virginia Piedmont. Two hundred and sixty years of daily average flow data from fifteen watersheds were used to calibrate PDM. Because the application of the study is to stream restoration, the model was calibrated to discharges greater than two times baseflow and less than flows with a return period of ten years. The hydrologic calibration parameters were related to watershed characteristics through regression analysis, and these equations were used to calculate regional model parameters based on watershed characteristics for a single "ungaged" independent evaluation watershed in the region. Simulated flow was compared to observed flow; the model simulated discharges of lower return periods moderately well (e.g., within 13% of observed for a flow with a five year return period). These results indicate this technique may be useful for stream restoration and wetland design. / Master of Science