Gulley Park Stream Restoration

Demonstration of a Natural Channel Design to Restore a Mud Creek Tributary 

In a proactive effort, the City of Fayetteville worked with the Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) to restore a 1,200-foot section of an unnamed tributary to Mud Creek. The unnamed tributary flows through Gulley Park and is located in the Illinois River Watershed. The project addresses land use changes upstream of the site that have impacted the stability of the channel over the years. Work was paid for with help from an Environmental Protection Agency 319 grant awarded to WCRC and the City through the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. Fayetteville provided the matching contribution needed for the grant. Construction began in August 2008 and the ribbon cutting for the completed project was held November 20, 2008.

This section of the unnamed tributary of Mud Creek was incised (cut into or carved out) and had several banks eroding into the park land, which resulted in vertical cut-banks ranging in height from six to eight feet. These banks contributed excessive sediment to the stream through lateral erosion. Bank erosion presents a safety concern and leads to a lack of riparian canopy (riparian refers to the trees and other growth that help to anchor soil and keep it in place).

Rather than using traditional approaches, such as rip-rap, to stabilize banks, WCRC designed a natural channel that will reduce sediment from the banks, stabilize the banks, and enhance the aquatic habitat. Approximately 450 feet of streambank have been stabilized by constructing bank full benches and rock structures that deflect flow away from banks. Rock clusters are used to create additional habitat features. Disturbed areas and constructed bank full benches are planted with native plants, and newly constructed sloped areas are planted with grasses and native trees.

The project site will continue be monitored to determine the reduced erosion rates and sediment delivery to the stream. Tree and shrub planting took place during the dormant season to improve survival of the plantings with the help of volunteers. For more information, please contact the Watershed Conservation Resource Center website about the project.