Riparian Restoration and Native Vegetation/Species Conservation
Sean Bernheisel, PE
AECOM
Germantown, MD
Prioritizing Ecological Value: Integrating Floristic Quality Assessments into Stream Restoration DesignStream restoration often necessitates clearing, grubbing, and selective tree removal-actions that can generate significant concern in communities that have valued and identified with these landscapes for decades. With increasing public awareness of stream restoration efforts, practitioners are increasingly called upon to justify vegetation removal, particularly as many communities regard tree preservation as equally important to channel stability and flood conveyance.
This presentation introduces an approach for evaluating vegetation impacts during early design phases by incorporating Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) into project planning. By prioritizing the preservation of species with higher Coefficients of Conservatism (C‑values), designers can protect plant communities that contribute disproportionately to ecological function. This method reduces the likelihood of impacts to sensitive species and champion specimens, therefore supporting long‑term project resilience and providing functional uplift.
We will review a brief history and typical applications of FQA. Case studies demonstrating how FQA–informed decision making can reshape design choices will highlight practical steps to quantify ecological tradeoffs. Attendees will leave with strategies to incorporate FQA into their standard practices, leading to more ecologically sound and defensible stream-restoration outcomes.
This presentation highlights the collaborative multi-agency framework, technical analyses, natural channel design innovations, and community‑oriented strategies that are reshaping Monument Creek from a constrained urban barrier into a resilient, recreational, and culturally connected waterway at the heart of Colorado Springs.
About Sean Bernheisel, PE
Sean is a civil engineer with seven years of experience across ecology, water resources, and environmental remediation. His work includes wetland delineation, ecological remediation monitoring, stream restoration, hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, dam modeling, and environmental sampling, reporting, and remediation oversight. Sean holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Resource Management from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
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