Using hydrogeomorphology principles and local materials for stream enhancement

Coxs Brook is a cold-water tributary of the Upsalquitch River where severe bank erosion was observed upstream of a newly installed culvert. In order to ensure that the brook would not circumvent the culvert by continuing to erode in the opposite direction, efforts were deployed to rebuild the bank and recreate the stream’s natural curvature.

An array of locally sourced natural materials such as logs, posts, saplings and branches were embedded and secured into the streambed. The goal was to create a dense matrix that will trap sediment moving downstream and gradually rebuild the bank without adding any granular material to the watercourse.

The site will be monitored in the coming years to ensure that the bank is reforming as planned and to conduct any maintenance if needed. If this technique performs well, the next step will be to enhance the confluence of Coxs Brook and the Upsalquitch River to make it a functional cold-water refuge for salmonids during high temperature periods.