This paper presents the restoration design process and construction activities associated with the Big Hanaford Creek restoration project. The project was completed as part of required wetland mitigation to compensate for adjacent plant and mine activities requiring state and federal wetland permits. Big Hanaford Creek is a tributary to the Skookumchuck River in Lewis County, Washington, with its headwaters in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and with lower reaches in low gradient floodplain valleys. Within its lower reaches, a 4800-meter portion of the creek was straightened and deepened approximately 90 years ago when the valley was drained for agricultural purposes. Most recently, the floodplain surrounding the creek was used for grazing and mowing of pasture grasses for hay production. In an effort to rehabilitate in-stream habitat, reconnect the creek to the floodplain, and return native floodplain vegetation to the valley, a 61-hectare restoration project is underway. The project includes excavating 63,460 cubic meters of soil to relocate 2,286 linear meters of the stream back to a historical channel alignment; installing in stream wood structures for fish habitat; creating a new channel cross section with a bench at spring water surface elevations; planting willows along the reconfigured channel; creating low lying floodplain swales, and planting over 290,000 native trees, shrubs, and sedge plugs in the floodplain. Aerial photographs were used to identify a past historical meander pattern to serve as the new stream alignment and Government Land Survey Office field notes from 1867 were used to identify the historical wetland floodplain plant community. Construction occurred over an 18-month period to allow for channel excavation and included construction of approximately 150 instream wood structures during the dry season; and installation of plants the following spring. A 10-year monitoring program is being developed to monitor hydrologic performance and establishment of the native vegetation. This project is located immediately west of the TransAlta Centralia Generation Plant and Mine operations on land currently owned by the TransAlta Corporation.
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