South Branch Whitewater Restoration

South Branch Whitewater Restoration

EOR completed restoration on a 7,900-foot reach of the South Branch Whitewater River to address substantial channel degradation & flooding of a local trout hatchery.

Following the catastrophic flood of 2007 in SE MN, the Whitewater River became laterally and vertically unstable and thus transported an abundance of sediment to downstream resources. EOR conducted extensive geomorphic surveys & analyses to restore the river and designed a new tributary alignment to prevent flooding at Crystal Springs Trout Hatchery.

The project used a variety of bioengineering techniques that reconnected the floodplain, restored the pattern & profile of the river, and established a concentration of large wood habitat structure. The project also incorporated a variety of non-game habitat features including floodplain wetlands, snag trees, vernal pools, and connected backwater refugia along the river.