Salmonid Restoration Federation
Drought, Fire, and Floods—Can Salmon and the Restoration Field Adapt?
April 23 - 26, 2019
Santa Rosa, California

Thinking Outside the Channel: Innovative Approaches to Urban Stream Restoration

24 April 2019
9:00am - 5:00pm

Workshop Coordinator: 
Tom Hesseldenz, Tom Hezzeldenz and Associates

Field Tour Coordinator:
Steve Brady, City of Santa Rosa

This workshop will go beyond urban stream restoration focused on channels and streambanks to also include floodplain restoration, flood hazard reduction, water quality improvements, and trails and other recreational facilities in urban settings.  Presentations will focus on various design methodologies utilized and ways to work with landowners, municipalities, regulators, local residents, and conservation organizations to accomplish large comprehensive urban stream projects. 

In the afternoon, participants will ride Rosie the Trolley to visit City of Santa Rosa project sites including Lower Colgan Creek and the Prince Memorial Greenway on Santa Rosa Creek.  The Colgan Creek project acquired additional right-of-way to allow for the expansion of the floodplain, increased channel sinuosity, instream habitat features, native riparian planting, and flood resiliency within a previously channelized creek. The Prince Greenway is an urban creek restoration in downtown Santa Rosa that enhanced a grouted rock flood control channel to allow for the installation of habitat features and native plantings within a limited right-of-way. The tour will highlight project development, land acquisition, flood control requirements, funding, challenges, and lessons learned.

Navigating Dynamic Stakeholder, Contractor and Regulatory Landscape to Improve Urban Streams: A Case Study of the City of Fortuna’s Rohner Creek Project, Brett Vivyan and Steve Allen, GHD

Ecological Re-Tooling of a Small Town: Comprehensive Urban Stream Restoration in the City of Yreka, California, Thomas F. Hesseldenz, Tom Hesseldenz and Associates 

Roughened Channel-Chute Construction Techniques, Random Versus Planned Boulder Placements, Travis James, Michael Love & Associates

How to Engage Local Communities in Order to Promote Urban Watershed Health and Understanding Around Salmonid Habitat Needs, Sarah Phillips, Marin County Resource Conservation District

Partnering with Land Conservation Organizations for Long-term Protection, Jen Kuszmar, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space

Fish Mural