South Fork Toutle River Headwaters Prioritization and Preliminary Design
W2r supported a broad consultant team in the development of multiple conceptual restoration designs over a nine-mile reach of the South Fork Toutle River and 10 of its tributaries in southwest Washington. Through our geomorphic assessment we guided prioritization and conceptual design of project elements. Specifically, we developed quantitative rankings of reach-scale restoration treatments which are tied to watershed position, slope, fish use, limiting factors, and climate change impacts to hydrology (with reductions in snowpacks). Through both on-the-ground and desktop work, we assessed where and which restoration approaches are most likely to benefit the river’s recovery (for instance, where, what type, and what size of logjams are likely to be relatively stable to influence habitat). We also informed reach-scale trajectories in incision and widening, aligning with Cluer and Thorne models.Information from our geomorphic assessment will be overlain with other critical considerations of large wood delivery (helicopter v. truck in this remote environment) and size/sourcing on nearby timber lands to better understand the most feasible, beneficial, and cost-effective approaches over the extensive project reach.Our team is leveraging our experience in implementing a range of wood jams and wood habitat structures to benefit aquatic habitat. Team member input is informing how restoration treatments can meet project ecological and geomorphic objectives while considering potential risk, long-term resiliency, and constructability factors. Design details developed for tree tipping and aerial wood loading aim to ensure that placed logs retain their structure while maintaining maximal contact with the streambed and floodplain, supporting find sediment retention and enhancing juvenile rearing habitat.