Hope Valley Bank Stabilization Project
The Hope Valley Bank Stabilization Project was a creek and meadow restoration project located on the West Fork Carson River in Hope Valley, Alpine County CA. The project was a partnership between the Alpine Watershed Group (AWG), the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the United States Forest Service (USFS) Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (H-T NF).
The project goals consisted of reducing erosion and sedimentation in the West Fork Carson River at two project locations. The long-term goals of this project are to improve water quality, enhance aquatic habitat, and create a more connected and functional channel and floodplain. This project was the third phase of an ongoing effort to improve the hydrologic processes by restoring floodplain connectivity, improving groundwater storage, prolonging base stream flows, enhancing critical habitat, and reducing erosion and sedimentation to lower Total Maximum Daily Loading (TMDL).
Hanford worked in unison with the project Design Consultant Waterways Consulting and the AWG implementing the design through a field fit process. Site 1 consisted of floodplain excavation to mimic an abandoned oxbow feature. A bench was created behind the failing bank and filled with live sod blocks, willow trench packs, willow stakes, and live willow transplants. Site 2 consisted of implementing bank stabilization features to an existing log crib structure by laying back the undercut bank, installing woody conifer slash, and planting live willow poles, cuttings, and stakes.
