Application of Natural Channel Design Principles in a Sub-Arctic Landscape
Will Harman
Stream Mechanics
Raleigh, NC
Authors: Will Harman and Matt Varner with the Bureau of Land Management, Alaska
For the past nine years, the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska has been working with a variety of organizations to create bankfull regional curves, develop reference reach data sets, implement demonstration projects, and develop a natural channel design (NCD) manual. The purpose is to develop design guidance for placer miners who have permits to mine for gold on federal lands. The sub-arctic region of Alaska presents unique challenges in implementing NCD principles.
This presentation will focus on the development of bankfull regional curves and reference reach datasets for the Interior portion of Alaska. These curves and data sets will be compared to their counterparts in various other regions of the United States. Challenges and lessons learned about implementing the NCD method in Alaska will also be presented.
About Will Harman
With 25 years of experience in fluvial geomorphology and stream restoration, Mr. Harman has designed hundreds of projects throughout the United States, which represent a wide range of conditions and challenges.
Mr. Harman spent the first half of his career working for North Carolina State University’s Cooperative Extension Service where he served as the state’s first Natural Resources Extension Agent. Later, he worked on campus where he co-founded the NC Stream Restoration Institute, now the NC Stream Restoration Program. At the university, Mr. Harman co-developed the River Course workshop series, led applied research projects, and completed stream restoration demonstration projects throughout the state.
Mr. Harman has spent the second half of his career in the private sector as a practitioner and educator. He has completed watershed assessments, stream assessments, and design projects throughout the United States, including Alaska. Mr. Harman is currently the owner of Stream Mechanics where he focuses on improving stream restoration and mitigation through the development of assessment and design-review tools. He developed the Stream Functions Pyramid Framework, which is being used by federal and state agencies, and private companies throughout the nation to implement function-based restoration projects. More recently, he co-developed a Stream Quantification Tool (SQT) to measure functional lift from stream restoration projects and functional loss from permitted impacts. The SQT is being used by mitigation programs to determine debits and credits.
Mr. Harman has a Bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University in Geography and a Master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Geography. He is a licensed geologist in North Carolina.