Dam removal and channel restoration at Fossil Butte National Monument.
Kyte CR, Santucci VL, Inglis RR. 1999. Dam removal and channel restoration at Fossil Butte National Monument.. Pages 309-316. In Wildland Hydrology, Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association. American Water Resources Association
This paper describes the demolition of two stockpond dams at Fossil Butte National Monument and restoration of associated gullies. The project was part of a plan to remove four man-made stockponds from the Chicken Creek watershed to return the drainage to a properly functioning hydrologic condition and mimic the natural channel geometry. Other human activities have affected the stability of Chicken Creek and its tributaries, including construction of the Oregon Shortline Railroad, domestic livestock grazing, road building, and agricultural activities. Although Chicken Creek is still responding to base level changes caused by railroad construction, most of its headcuts are small and relatively stable. Since the elimination of livestock grazing in 1989 some gullies have begun to heal. The restoration goal was to initiate a trend towards a stable, naturally functioning ecosystem. We describe an innovative approach to gully restoration, discuss project effectiveness, and make suggestions for improvement in project implementation.
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Kyte, Clay; Santucci, Vincent; Inglis, Rick
- Units
- FOBU
- Keywords
- Chicken Creek, dam deactivation, hydrology, restoration