Honey Creek OEPA 319 Stream Restoration Project 2007-2010

The Project and Funding

The Honey Creek Watershed Association was awarded an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency 319 Stream Restoration Grant to restore a degraded section of the Honey Creek. We had many partners that also helped make this project possible by providing a local match of 40% of the grant. Our partners included the Miami Soil and Water Conservation District, Miami County Park District, Honey Creek Watershed Association’s Board of Directors, Tri-Cities North Regional Wastewater Authority, Veolia Water North America, City of Tipp City, City of Huber Heights, KCI Technologies Inc, Miami Conservancy District, Miami County Pheasants Forever, and Alloway Environmental Testing. The cost of this project was $129,400 which included restoring and stabilizing 524 linear feet of stream bank, planting two acres of native tree species and two acres of native grasses to widen and enhance the riparian habitat along this section of the Honey Creek.

The completion of this project improved water quality by reducing, per year, an estimated 41.4 tons of sediment, 82.7 lbs of nitrogen and 41.4 lbs of phosphorus from entering into the Honey Creek. These reductions in nutrients from neighboring fields and sediment loadings will also enhance the aquatic habitat, inviting more diverse and higher quality fish such as the River Chub and the Scarlet Shiner that have been spotted in other sections of the Honey Creek.

Construction

We hired KCI Technologies Inc, from Raleigh North Carolina, to engineer the design and complete the construction for this project. The restoration design was based on a “fluvial geomorphic design”, which follows a more natural restoration process than conventional methods.

Most of the construction was performed in the winter and the four acres of new habitat were planted in the spring. Installing sediment control features was the first part of the job. Silt fences were installed around all pile of materials that were pulled out of the stream to prevent it (mostly soil) from washing back in to the stream. A spoilage area was installed for the heavy equipment to remove their excess mud. It is important to have sediment control features to prevent as much sediment from entering the stream during construction as possible. Our next step was clearing out three log jams that were causing the stream to erode itself in certain areas. We began to lay back some of the banks in preparation for their stabilization features. The techniques and structures used included two 15+foot rock cross vanes and one 10+foot j-hook, both of which redirect the main current (and eroding power of the stream), one 75ft live lift that helps defuse the stream’s energy for normal flow, the creation of two spillways for release of floodwaters for high flow further reducing erosion, and regrading and re-vegetation (using live Willow tree cuttings) of the bank slopes along project area.

For any questions regarding this project, please contact the

Honey Creek watershed Assoc 937-667-7878

STREAMBANK RESTORATION PROJECT PICTURES
PRE TO POST CONSTRUCTION PICTURES
DECEMBER 16, 2008
DECEMBER 17, 2008
DECEMBER 18, 2008
DECEMBER 31, 2008
JANUARY 5, 2009
JANUARY 6, 2009
JANUARY 7, 2009
MARCH 16, 2009
JUNE 6, 2009