Comprehensive Review of the Trinity River Restoration Program: Progress, Adaptations, and Lessons Learned
Ben Snyder
SWCA Environmental Consultants
Oakland, CA
Initiated in 2000 under the guidance of the Department of Interior’s Trinity River Record of Decision (ROD), the Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) has been a significant endeavor aiming to rejuvenate the Trinity River, along with its aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This abstract encapsulates the program’s progression, modifications, and the insights gained over its two-phase timeline, spanning from 2003 to 2022. The TRRP meticulously addressed five pivotal restoration facets: flow and sediment management, watershed interventions, channel rehabilitation, and adaptive environmental assessment and management. Phase 2 (2012-2022) was particularly instrumental, witnessing the execution of 14 channel rehabilitation and 42 watershed restoration projects, alongside the optimization of flow management strategies and sediment augmentation methods to better replicate natural river dynamics. The success of these interventions has been predominantly evaluated through biological monitoring, focusing on salmonid populations and habitat features, with findings indicating enhanced salmonid habitats in rehabilitated regions. However, the overall geomorphic context has been identified as a critical factor influencing project outcomes. This retrospective review aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of the TRRP’s endeavors up to 2021, with a special focus on the channel rehabilitation initiatives of Phase 2. Drawing from group interviews, site tours, and extensive literature review, this document serves as a consolidation of knowledge and experiences, building upon previous evaluations and lessons learned, and thereby contributing valuable insights for future stream restoration endeavors on a national scale.
About Ben Snyder
Senior Ecosystem Restoration Engineer Ben Snyder has over two decades of experience in ecohydrology and restoration design. He is a California-licensed civil engineer who has dedicated his distinguished career to leading interdisciplinary teams in resolving complex habitat restoration challenges. The combination of his expertise in engineering design, hydrology, hydraulics, geomorphology, and ecosystem function has proven to be a formidable asset to many restoration projects, including wetland restoration, dam removal, fish passage barrier removal, and tidal marsh restoration. He brings a process-based approach to engineering design, built on a solid foundation of an understanding of the local flow regime and how it will sustain complex habitat mosaics in the face of a changing climate. Mr. Snyder is based out of SWCA’s Oakland office.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-snyder-hydraulics/