Developing a Riverbank Stabilization Toolbox to Streamline the Design Process
Kerry Desmond, EIT, CFM
AECOM
Germantown, MD
Riverbank stabilization is an important component of stream restoration that ensures banks are adequately protected from erosional forces. Riverbank stabilization also enhances fish and wildlife habitat, improves water quality, reduces flooding, and protects infrastructure. There are many techniques available for riverbank stabilization, ranging from soft techniques such as vegetative plantings to hard armoring with riprap. In-stream structures, such as bendway weirs or cross vanes, can also be implemented to divert water from the banks. Applying the best technique to a given location can be challenging when trying to balance cost, effectiveness, site constraints, stakeholder needs, project requirements, and availability. Optimizing these variables is difficult to do without a framework in place to guide decision making. Incorporating the stream parameters, site conditions, and stabilization options into a single toolbox can inform and streamline the stream restoration and bank stabilization design process.
This presentation will outline the process for developing and applying a riverbank stabilization toolbox. We will discuss how to build a decision tree flowchart to take characteristics of a given riverbank and apply quantitative and binary decision points to lead to an optimized stabilization solution. We will also go through the limitations of utilizing a toolbox and the professional judgement that needs to be applied. Discussion will include how to communicate toolbox parameters and results to various stakeholders.
About Kerry Desmond, EIT, CFM
Kerry Desmond is a Water Resources Engineer at AECOM with 5 years of experience in engineering consulting. She has worked on a variety of water resources projects, including floodplain modeling and mapping and stream restoration design. Kerry graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering.