View Stream Project Summaries

Hanford ARC has created a niche in the always growing and changing field of stream restoration. We began this focus approximately 15 years ago, when stream restoration was emerging as a viable alternative to hard engineering of damaged stream channels and systems.

As projects have evolved, so have we. In the last five years alone we have completed over 20 full restoration projects, each of which was unique both in problem and solution. Most of the projects involved full channel realignment, and all projects included some form of soil bioengineering and aquatic habitat enhancement.

For nearly every project we add new aquatic habitat and stabilization structures to our experience list. The list includes log weirs, complexes (including root wads), deflectors, and crib walls; rock weirs, veins, deflectors, drop structures, toe protection; and soil bioengineering structures, such as vegetated soil lifts, brush mattresses, brush layering, willow wattles and fascines, and live cuttings.

We have acquired a diverse list of equipment which allows us to work in sensitive environments and is on hand for rapid response to changing conditions during a project.

Our experience working in stream channels has taught us that flexibility is the key to success. Often, the dynamic nature of streams requires adaptive construction techniques to handle field design modifications and variable conditions.

School Park Preserve, Lincoln Creek Restoration
Auburn, CA

Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Placer Land Trust and the City of Auburn through Environcon, Inc., Hanford ARC was contracted to install Vegetated Soil Lifts (VSLs) along the banks of the recently reopened Lincoln Creek.  The next phase of the project for Hanford includes hydroseeding, tree and shrub planting and two years of maintenance and monitoring.

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Codornices Creek Fish Passage
Albany, CA

Under Contract with Urban Creeks Council, Hanford ARC has reconstructed a 200 foot section of Codornices Creek incorporat ing a series of pools and rock structures.  The project's objective is to open the stream for fish passage above the Albina Avenue Bridge. Large tree planting on the banks completed the job. More...

San Pablo Creek Restoration
Orinda, CA

Hanford ARC was contracted on behalf of a private client for this project in Orinda, CA. The creek banks at the project site were severely eroded causing loss of the homeowner’s property. The project involved repairing the channel bank with a variety of techniques, including vegetated soil lifts, rock toe protection with live staking, and erosion control seeding on the upper slope. More...

Arroyo de Laguna Streambank Stabilization and Restoration Project
Pleasanton, CA

Hanford ARC worked with the Alameda County NRCS, San Francisco PUC, Alameda County RCD, Zone 7 Water District, Alameda County Public Works Agency, and Dublin/San Ramon Services District to stabilize an 800-foot long by 30-foot vertical section of the Arroyo de la Laguna on San Francisco PUC property to implement specialized streambank stabilization structures. More...

Angora Creek Restoration
South Lake Tahoe , CA

This ambitious project includes restoration of 4 acres of alpine meadow, construction of 2,000 LF of new main stem channel and 600 LF of tributary channel, a new vehicle bridge, utility relocation, culvert removal, and backfill of the main stem gully. The existing gully was deeply incised and straightened, which caused the stream to abandon its floodplain, reducing the habitat value and turning the historic floodplain into a dry meadow. A large headcut in the gully was contributing approximately 300-500 cubic yards of sediment to Angora Creek each year, polluting Lake Tahoe. More...

Kottinger Creek Restoration
Pleasanton, CA

Hanford ARC was contracted by the City of Pleasanton in July 2006 to rebuild a 2,000-foot section of Kottinger Creek within Kottinger Park. The existing channel was straight and filled with invasive species, with turf extending to the channel banks. Hanford ARC cleared the turf and vegetation, backfilled the existing channel, and excavated a new channel and floodplain with increased sinuosity. A series of rock weirs were installed, followed by restoration with native seed, cuttings and container plants. More...

Lower Redwood Creek Restoration Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Muir Beach, CA

The National Parks Conservancy and National Park Service (NPS) selected Hanford ARC to construct this salmon and steelhead habitat restoration project located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, upstream from Muir Beach, CA. Redwood Creek is habitat for both coho salmon and steelhead trout. More...

Cerrito Creek Restoration
El Cerrito, CA

As part of an effort to restore part of a degraded stream in a highly urbanized watershed, Hanford ARC contracted with the City of El Cerrito to grade a new, meandering channel, stabilized with rock weirs and rock toe protection, and revegetated with native plants. The watershed is highly urbanized, with a very short time of concentration resulting in flash flows through the project. More...

Strawberry Creek Restoration
Berkeley, CA

Hanford ARC was contracted by UC Berkeley to repair a landslide and stabilize a segment of Strawberry Creek in the upper part of the Botanical Garden. High flows on Strawberry Creek had undermined the toe of a steep slope, causing an approximately 40-foot tall slump. Hanford ARC reconstructed the slope and stabilized the channel bed and toe with a series of rock weirs and toe protection. More...

Palomares Creek Restoration
Castro Valley, CA

The creek banks at the project site were severely eroded by high stream velocities due to channel entrenchment and surrounding land use. Hanford ARC repaired two sections of channel with a variety of techniques, including a vegetated log crib wall, rock toe protection with root wads and live staking, and a large, upper bank vegetated soil lift structure. The 80 foot-long log crib wall required excavation in very tight conditions and work on a steep slope. More...

Piute Creek Restoration
Susanville, CA

Restoration of Piute Creek included reconstructing a set-back levee to create a 50 foot-wide flood plain, creation of a meandering channel with increased sinuosity, construction of a low flow channel with a sequence of riffles and pools, and installation of a series of soil bioengineering and fish habitat structures. More...

Trout Creek Restoration and Habitat Improvement
City of South Lake Tahoe

Hanford ARC (prime contractor) and Frontier Contracting (sub contractor, operating specialized equipment) constructed this second phase of a comprehensive floodplain and habitat restoration project. Designed by Watershed Restoration Associates of South Lake Tahoe, restoration involved construction of approximately 5,700 linear feet of stream channel with features including sod bank revetments, rootwads and placed gravel bars and riffles. More...

Arroyo Viejo Park Creek Restoration
Oakland, CA

This creek restoration and park construction project included demolition of existing park facilities and creek structures, creek channel realignment and structure installation, and installation of park amenities. Hanford ARC excavated and graded the new 700 foot-long stream channel and surrounding uplands. The channel has a perennial flow, which required dewatering prior to construction. A gravity bypass was installed using a cofferdam and steel pipe routed in the channel. More...

Portola Valley Vegetated Geogrid
Woodside, CA

Hanford ARC was contracted to assist with the installation of a 90 foot-long by 10 foot-tall vegetated geogrid. Hanford ARC provided specialized crews and supervision, working with the bridge contractor, who provided operated heavy equipment. Hanford ARC harvested the willows at a designated site, for incorporation into the soil lifts, as well as pole planting in the rock toe protection. More...

Highway 84 Streambank Mitigation
La Honda, CA

Storms in the winter of 1997/98 resulted in significant erosion and damage to Highway 84 along San Gregorio Creek, in San Mateo County. To repair this erosion, Caltrans contracted the construction of a gabion structure. Riparian habitat lost during this construction was mitigated by a contract with Hanford ARC to construct a rootwad structure adjacent to the gabion wall. San Gregorio Creek is habitat to migrant fish populations and other sensitive species, requiring extensive protection during construction. More...

Sausal Creek Restoration
Oakland, CA

Project goals included restoration of aquatic habitat, riparian habitat and upland canyon habitat. Additionally, the project provides a forum for community education of stream restoration. Prior to stream channel construction, Hanford ARC implemented the invasive plant removal component of the project. This work encompassed an area approximately 1,500 feet long by 20 to more than 100 feet wide, on both sides of the channel. More...

Brush Creek Restoration
Santa Rosa, CA

This is a comprehensive salmon and steelhead habitat restoration project, designed by Carlisle Macy of Santa Rosa. The goal of the project was to create a low flow channel that limits ponding and is aligned along the shady side of the flood control channel. Construction included installation of weirs, “wing” deflectors, and redwood root wads. These structures act as both habitat and as controls for the newly meandering low-flow channel. More...

Willamette River Geogrid
Portland, OR

Responding to concerns related to threatened species, a portion of this project involved creating the first “fish friendly” living bank treatment to be constructed in the city of Portland. The geogrid was planted with willow, dogwood and snowberry. Willow pole joint plantings were also installed in the riprap along the waters edge, upstream of the project. More...