Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration Day 1

Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration Day 1

We had pretty much given up on their ever showing up to work on the Streambank Restoration by our log cabin. We figured with everything going on, our brook was not going be a priority. And we were no longer looking forward to it after we saw how long Patton Park has been a big muddy mess.

And then we saw that there was spray paint all over the ground.

I drove over to check every day, but nothing happened. (We don’t live at the cabin now. We built a new house walking distance away.)

So, of course the day I don’t go check they got to work. They were just waiting for me to stop watching.

Two pumps to divert the water so they can work
Two pumps to divert the water so they can work

They had set up two big pumps to dry up the creek.

Two pumps to divert the water
Two pumps to divert the water

They were really loud!

The brook is mostly dry
The brook is mostly dry

They diverted the water way down those two hoses past where they were working.

The pump had two big hoses
The pump had two big hoses

Do you see how big those hoses are?

Surveying
Surveying

They had set up a transit to locate exactly where the plans said to relocate everything to.

Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration - Project Small House
Plan: Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration
Click on the map to open larger

This is the map of what they plan.

Bye bye bamboo!
Bye bye bamboo!

There was still an enormous pile of broken off bamboo, but it was gone before they went home the first day.

The remains of the bamboo and the wall
The remains of the bamboo and the wall

They had taken down all the bamboo. In one day. Gone.
And they had removed all the broken parts of the retaining wall out of the streambed.

Backing the truck in for another load of debris
Backing the truck in for another load of debris

They took load after load of bamboo, roots, wall and debris away.

Cutting rebar from the old wall
Cutting rebar from the old wall

They had to cut apart the rebar from sections of the old wall to get it into the truck. See the sparks where the blade is biting into the steel?

They took away three truck loads of debris
They took away three truck loads of debris while we watched.

Cane: Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration >
Broken Retaining Wall: Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration >

Rock to create the riffle
Rock to create the riffle

There was a big pile of rock.

Typical Riffle - Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration - Project Small House
Typical Riffle – Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration

The plan calls for two areas of riffle. A riffle is “a rocky or shallow part of a stream or river with rough water.” It is supposed to slow the flow of the brook and help keep the water clear.

They widened the streambed a lot and made the sides slope very gradually.

Then they put in the rock.

A scoop full of the rock for the riffle
A scoop full of the rock for the riffle

They scooped up the large rocks.

Putting down the Riffle Rocks
Putting down the Riffle Rocks

And then dropped them in the brook.

Setting the rock to create the riffle
Setting the rock to create the riffle

He was really careful. He could move around one rock at a time with that thing. Then he mashed the rocks in and made it kinda flat.

Riffle
Riffle

This is what the riffle looks like after he got it pushed down.

Coir and Riffle
Coir and Riffle

They smoothed the banks and built it up where it had eroded away from being dammed by the knocked down retaining wall. Then they covered it with coir fabric. The specifications say; “740 square yards of erosion control matting.”

Coir Erosion Control Matting
Coir Erosion Control Matting

Erosion control matting is a stabilization fabric… designed to support plant growth and reinforce soil in many erosion control project sites. …these mats are able to support banks until vegetation is able to take root.

www.erosioncontrol-products.com/erosioncontrolmatting.html

I don't know what these mean
I don’t know what these mean

They had spray painted these on the ground. I still don’t know why.

They turned off the pumps and let the water flow again before they left for the day.

Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration
Meadowbrook Terrace Streambank Restoration Plan
Comet Drive Streambank Restoration Plan
The Out of Control Bamboo or Cane
The Broken Retaining Wall
Pond & Streambank Restoration at Patton Park
Day 1 Restoring the Streambank at the Log Cabin
Day 2 Restoring the Streambank at the Log Cabin


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