Chorro Creek Ecological Reserve Floodplain Restoration Project

The project restored the degraded floodplain at the site by expanding a levee breach to route flow to 2 secondary avulsion channels, grading a lower floodplain adjacent to the 2 channels, planting riparian vegetation, placing large wood and resloping the road crossing. Minor changes were made due to conditions found while conducting the work and included increasing the amount of concrete removed, increasing the brush mat length and decreasing willow scrub habitat excavation by .6 acres. 1,208 plants were installed, 0.47 miles of stream treated, 2460 feet aquatic habitat disturbed, approximately 100 sqft of large wood and 2500 sqft of willow baffles installed within bankfull channel; 8 large wood structures and 24 willow baffles installed; 0.85 acres of streambed created and 4.8 acres of floodplain connected. Floodplain channel was activated in late January 2021 with an extremely high flow event and a few areas along the bank eroded but sediment deposition and bar formations occurred.

Improve instream habitat by improving the stream hydrological profile, increasing storm refugia and riparian cover.