Hurst Creek ELJ Design, The Nature Conservancy, Clearwater, WA

NSD provided site assessment, design and construction supervision using a field-directed approach to install large engineered log jams along a 1,200 ft. stretch of creek. Historically, the creek had been heavily impacted by aggressive logging practices resulting in entrenchment of the creek down to bedrock and loss of spawning or rearing habitat. This pilot project installed several full-spanning log jams constructed of locally-harvested whole trees, intended to reduce in-channel velocities, triggering aggradation and rebuilding the bed several feet to re-connect flood flows with the historic floodplain. Ongoing monitoring will evaluate changes in bed profile, grain size, water surface, plan form and fish presence and abundance.