As Trout Headwaters, Inc enters its 27th year and continues its work restoring, enhancing and preserving streams, rivers and associated wetlands, there is nothing I dread more than hearing those three little words: “natural channel design.” I know, I know, it sounds great. And it’s certainly understandable why some new river restoration practitioners gravitated to an easy-to-teach, easy-to-learn, flowchart-type method of restoration design. But once you’ve seen some of the expensive project failures resultant from trying to jam dynamic, highly variable stream systems into some short cookbook, I expect you’ll share my concerns.

Now, I know there are thousands of ‘disciples’ out there, who will defend these methods as they stand on a pile of washed-out rock. And yes, I’ve heard the surprised voice of a young regulator asking why there were no “J-hooks” in one of THI’s designs, as if “J-hooks” were somehow a lacking natural river feature. 

I’ve have also read the critiques from the scientific community around these methods and the lack of proper peer review.  And I’ve followed various media stories critical of these overly simplified practices – an example here  REPORT: Are River Restoration Efforts Misguided.

The fact is, THI’s field data – resultant from collecting hundreds of thousands of data points in streams across the U.S. – demonstrate that most streams do not even fit cleanly into the commonly used classification system associated with “natural channel design.”

There are a growing number of firms like Trout Headwaters’ who insist upon a more holistic and multidisciplinary approach to restoration.

While some in the industry and government still cling to an oversimplified, cookie-cutter approach to restoration, there’s little doubt that this brand of stream manipulation is fast-fading from favor. Trackhoes and riprap are losing ground to softer, less invasive, more ecologically-sound restoration techniques and practices. 

Since THI began restoring streams and rivers in 1995, our firm has been using a process which recognizes that our precious natural resources are unique and should be respected as such. It relies on a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to ecological restoration and management. It relies on sound science.

What this sustainable process for stream restoration means to our clients and the environment is consistent, cost-effective and successful projects. Guaranteed.