Tennessee Stram Mitigation Program

Project Description

The project encompasses approximately 8,334 linear feet of Leipers Fork, 2,729 linear feet of Wilkie Branch, and 1,211 linear feet of an unnamed tributary to Leipers Fork. The impacted reaches have historically been altered through channel straightening and vegetation removal and exhibit varying states of instability in form of severe bank erosion, undercut banks, bed degradation, and excessive sediment deposition. Riffle and pool bed features exist but are not sequenced or situated in a stable manner. The goal of the project is to improve water quality, enhance aquatic habitat and reestablish riparian habitat. The approach includes restoring natural channel morphology and floodplain access, reducing excess fine sediment inputs due to accelerated bank erosion, and reestablishing effective sediment transport functions. The streambanks will be graded and replanted to achieve stability and deeper pools and constructed riffles will be incorporated throughout to narrow over-widened sections of the channels that are shallow and slow moving. Aquatic habitat diversity and quality will be improved through the reestablishment of bedform diversity and the incorporation of instream structures including large woody material. Riparian buffers a minimum of 50 feet wide on both sides of the restored reaches that are composed of native woody and herbaceous species will be reestablished to improve nutrient filtering function and riparian habitat. 

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After