Ecosystem Restoration Projects

Ecosystem Restoration Projects Name______________________________ Directions: Use the internet to research the following ecosystem restoration projects. You don’t need to do them in order. Name of Restoration Project Camas Prairie Restoration Project Where is this ecosystem? Wetland prairie in Oregon in Willamette Valley Resacas Ecosystem Restoration Brownsville, Texas Cotley River Restoration Cotley River Kissimmee River Restoration Project Kissimmee River Urban Debris Removal in Cleveland Harbor Cleveland Harbor Happy Isles Dam Removal Mower Tract Ecological Restoration Project 319 Project WRWA Happy Isles 5 miles northwest of Durbin, in Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia The Town of Westport What was the problem? In 1994, the Willamette National Forest acquired a 14-acre parcel of fallowed ranchland that hardly resembled a native wetland prairie. The meadow was full of invasive weeds such as European blackberry, Scotch broom, and Queen Anne’s-lace, and Oregon ash trees were colonizing it. Alice Smith, Botanist at the Sweet Home Ranger District, surveyed the parcel and found camas lilies and other indicator species such as meadow checkermallow, hyacinth brodiaea, suggesting this was a remnant wet prairie in dire need of restoration. Deterioration of the Resacas has increased regional flooding, imp aired water storage and eliminated much of the natural riparian habitat along the Resacas on U.S. side of the Rio Grande River. Removal of this aging dam will open 8 miles of habitat for wildlife on this tributary to the federally-designated Wild and Scenic portion of the Taunton River. The aging system of Dams disabled migration of fishes. The problem is a land dispute between the Corps and the West Palm Beach based water district that officials say they thought was resolved years ago. The project is jointly funded by federal, state and water management funds with costs equally shared. The removal of floating debris directly impacts the aesthetics of the waterways and beaches. The debris is largely made-up of urban litter that is introduced to the waterways via storm sewers. The purpose of this project was to restore the free-flowing character and pool-riffle morphology of this reach of the Merced River through the removal of Happy Isles Dam and associated diversion structures. The timbering in the 1970s-80s has resulted in vast areas of young, dense spruce. This condition is highly unnatural because the red spruce is overstocked. Without intervention, the dense young spruce stands will not have an opportunity to eventually develop into a healthy spruce-hardwood ecosystem. Storm water runs down our roads and other hard surfaces and picks up everything along the way; oil, bacteria, nitrogen, heavy metals, and other pollutants. What's in the runoff can affect their drinking water, shellfish beds, fisheries, stream and river health, soil health, and other resources. How was it fixed? The Camas Prairie Restoration Project began with the re-introduction of fire. Traditionally, camas prairies were burned frequently at low intensity in late summer when the meadows were dry and the seeds released into the soil, eliminating competing vegetation, and encouraging the spread of camas. Camas Prairie has been burned every two years and seeds have been collected yearly for the past decade with remarkable success. Since the restoration project began, camas plants have almost tripled in number and invasive plants have decreased by half. This current project will address the need for restoration at the Resaca Boulevard Resaca in three major ways: removal of non-native invasive plant species, planting and development of native plant species, improvements to the resaca bank. By removing old dams that no longer provide services to local communities, we restore access to valuable upstream habitats for river herring, shad, and other sea-run fish. These fish are prey for popular recreational and commercial fish, such as striped bass and cod. The Kissimmee River Restoration Project will return flow to 44 miles of the river's historic channel and restore about 40 square miles of river/floodplain ecosystem. The restoration project – a 50-50 partnership with the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – is currently projected to be complete by 2020. The Port of Cleveland, with the help of a U.S. EPA grant, recently designed, built, crewed, and launched two boats specifically designed to capture and remove floating debris from Cleveland's Harbor. The boats are named Flotsam and Jetsam and together they make up the Debris Harvester Vessel System. The project is to remove the existing dam, which consists of approximately 44 cubic yards of native rock and concrete, and the associated intake structure, which consists of 12 cubic yards of steelreinforced concrete, and restore the natural conditions of the river. The goal of the Mower Tract restoration is to re-establish native red spruce forests, increase the water storage capacity of Cheat Mountain, improve water quality in the Shavers Fork watershed, and provide wildlife corridors for vulnerable and threatened species. The wetland will help to filter out pathogens at the Head of Westport and ultimately help us reach our goal to have the river in this area cleaned up for swimming, fishing and shellfishing. We thank the Town of Westport, the ESS Group, the Buzzards Bay Project, the State of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and especially our members, whose financial support have made the project possible. Big Indian Lake Improvement Project Big Indian Reservoir 11A near Wymore, Nebraska Muskegon Lake Brownfield Remediation Brownfield Stryker Bay Cleanup Duluth Harbor High turbidity and algal blooms driven by elevated phosphorus concentrations degraded the aesthetic value of the reservoir and the quality of the fishery. The bottom-feeding habits of rough fish (species less desirable for sport) further exacerbated the resuspen- sion of sediment and nutrients into the water column. Planting poplar trees around Muskegon Lake is helping remove toxins in the soil by absorbing and degrading the chemicals as the trees grow. The poplar trees also will reduce runoff and provide a sustainable source of wood for local manufacturers. toxic mud from the bottom of the bay Milwaukee River and Lincoln Creek Sediment Cleanup Green Bay Shoreline Protected by Barrier Island Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Project St. Mary’s River Sea Lamprey Control Removing Invasive Plants from Times Beach Rigs-to-Reef Program Milwaukee River and Lincoln Creek Green Bay Yosemite National Park St. Marys River Buffalo, N.Y. Apalachicola, Florida Huge source of PCBs removed from Milwaukee River - Healing Our Waters Coalition. The dredging of 140,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from Milwaukee's Lincoln Creek and the Milwaukee River channel removed the largest source of toxic PCBs in the river, which will reduce contaminant concentrations in fish. After the islands eroded away, the extensive coastal wetlands in the lower Green Bay weren't protected from high-energy waves and storms. The Mariposa Grove reopened in June, 2018, after being closed three years for restoration. Crews improved habitat for sequoias by removing parking lots and roads, and restoring the natural flow of water to the trees. Parking was relocated two miles away from the grove, and is connected by shuttle buses. fish are destroyed by sea lampreys than all other sources of mortality combined—including natural causes and sport, tribal, and commercial harvest. The problem is so severe that management agencies stopped stocking lake trout in northern Lake Huron pending sea lamprey control on the St. Marys River. Invasive plant species spread quickly and can displace native plants, prevent native plant growth, and create monocultures. A healthy plant community has a variety of herbs, shrubs, and trees. Invasive plants cause biological pollution by reducing plant species diversity. The Gulf of Mexico lack natural reefs. Not long after platforms first appeared in the Gulf, fishermen found that they caught more fish near platforms. Subsequent research found that the platforms act as artificial reefs, attracting and enhancing fish populations. Renovating the reservoir consisted of removing sediment; stabilizing the shoreline with offshore breakwaters, jetties and armoring; constructing inlet sediment and nutrient traps; and removing rough fish. Nutrient runoff from the surrounding landscape also caused large algal blooms an harmed the base of the food chain in the lake As a result beach closings occurred, fish and wildlife were degraded and the public was warned not to consume them, fish and wildlif habitat was impaired, and dredging was restricted. The project removed about 200,000 cubic yards of toxic mud from the bottom of the bay; another 175,000 acres of contaminated sediment were left in the bay and capped with a layer of clean sand and a carbon mat designed to permanently isolate the contaminants from the waters of Duluth Harbor. It also included planting of hundreds of individual native trees and shrubs, laying down seeds of native grasses and non-woody plants, and protecting them all with a biodegradable cover to keep the seeds and banks from eroding. A former barrier island chain off the coast of Green Bay is being rebuilt to protect wetlands and habitat, allowing native fish like bluegill and largemouth bass to return. The Cat Island chain off of Green Bay used to protect the coast from punishing waves and storm events. The Mariposa Grove closed in spring 2015 large-scale restoration project that wa formalized through the Mariposa Grov Restoration Project Final Environmental Im Statement. The two primary goals of this p were to improve giant sequoia habitat a improve visitor experience. Sea lamprey control on the St. Marys River will reduce parasitic sea lampreys in Lake Huron and northern Lake Michigan by 85% - a remarkable success! Spawning potential of lake trout and other species is expected to rise dramatically. Invasive plants were removed from the Times Beach Nature Preserve in Buffalo, N.Y. and replaced with native plants to support migratory birds and pollinators. The rigs-to-reefs program provides benefits for the marine environment by enhancing fish habitat, for the State by enhancing recreational and commercial fishing, and for producing companies through cost savings and beneficial reuse of platforms that otherwise would become scrap metal and material.