Stream Restoration ProjectHits 'Hole in One' atDelaware Golf CourseA deteriorating stream finds new life throughthe Ecological Restoration Program.BY STEVE WILLIAMS

The 1S-hole Three Little BakersGolf Course is nestled in thePike Creek stream valley of

northern Delaware. It is located inan area that geologists refer to as thePiedmont Physiographic Province. Forgolfers who may be a little rusty ontheir geology, this term refers to anuplifted area in northern Delaware and

southeastern Pennsylvania where eleva-tions reach as high as 400 feet above sealevel. This elevated area of gently rollinghills not only offers some challengingfairway shots, but also provides therelief, or changes in elevation, thatcauses streams in the area to flow ataccelerated rates, especially duringstorm events.

This relief, combined with the pres-sures from development and increasedvolumes of water entering the streamsystem with each rain event, has lefta section of Pike Creek that flowsthrough Three Little Bakers in need ofsome serious attention. For this reasonthe popular golf course caught the eyeof the Ecological Restoration Team of

The lack ofstreamside

vegetation tohold stream

banks in placeresulted in the

undercutting ofbanks and theloss of fairway

and trees.Holes seven,

15, and 16 wereimpacted on

the Three LittleBakers site.

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Delaware's Department of NaturalResources and Environmental Control.

Ecological restoration, a proactiveenvironmental movement that's beensweeping the country over the pastseveral years, is a term that more peopleare hearing about. Typically led by stateand federal governmental agencies andnon-profit environmental organizations,the goal is to improve the overallquality of our watersheds. With theincrease in commercial and residentialdevelopment over the past two decades,the impacts associated with urbansprawl are starting to take a serioustoll on the habitat, water quality, andstream stability in many suburbanareas.

Several stream valleys in the northernpart of the state are showing some ofthe tell-tale signs of environmentaldegradation. Jim Chaconas, an environ-mental scientist with the DelawareDepartment of Natural Resources and

Environmental Control, has witnessedsome dramatic changes over the pastten years. "I have actually seen some ofthe stream channels migrate laterally upto five feet in some locations," saidChaconas. "Streams are dynamicsystems that are constandy shifting andrelocating sediments. The problem isthat we see these events occur far toofrequently and the streams have no timeto reach a state of equilibrium. They areunder constant pressure."

Some of the causes can be traced backto the rapid increase in impervious, orhardened, surfaces that are a byproductof the overdevelopment of watersheds.More rooftops, driveways, roads, andparking lots mean less permeable sur-faces available for rainwater to soakinto. This causes the volume of surfacewater runoff associated with each stormevent to increase, which in turn resultsin more water entering waterways at amuch faster rate.

The rate at which the runoff isreaching streams, rivers, and even smallcreeks is resulting in excessive erosion,the destruction of habitat, and waterquality degradation. Stream banks arebeing undercut, channel bottoms arebeing incised deeper, and large volumesof sediment are being released intowaterways and redeposited furtherdownstream.

In an attempt to improve the healthof some of Delaware's waters, theDepartment of Natural Resources'Ecological Restoration Team has beenactively restoring degraded rivers andstreams since 2001. The first step in theprocess requires the team to evaluatethe condition of the streams. Equippedwith tape measures, survey rods, globalpositioning system (GPS) units, cameras,and scientific instruments, team mem-bers have hiked and boated more than300 miles of streams in northernDelaware. After collecting and studying

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Once a grassy field routinely mowed by the golfcourse maintenance staff (above), a one-acre

wetland as created to establish wildlife habitatand filter water from neighboring developments

before entering Pike Creek.

the field data, they were able to identifysome of the most degraded streamsegments in terms of stressed habitat,severity of eroded banks, and lack ofstreamside vegetation. One of the moststressed stream segments was foundalong Pike Creek in the area where itflows through the Three Little BakersGolf Course.

Representatives from the EcologicalRestoration Team approached SteveSegui, course superintendent at ThreeLittle Bakers, and discussed some ofthe environmental issues related to thestream and the concept of stream resto-ration. Although a little cautious, hisinitial reaction was optimistic. "Wewere watching our fairway in the areasof holes seven, 15, and 16 literally dis-appear before our eyes with each majorstorm event. The banks were eroding atan extremely rapid rate;' said Segui.

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Three Little Bakers golf professionalDick Matthias was in total agreement."Finding a solution to stabilize thestream banks and improve the environ-mental conditions of the stream wouldbe nothing but a win-win solution foreveryone," stated Matthias. But the nextstep was to sell the general manager,Jim Rose, and owner, Hugo Immediato,about the idea of stream restoration.

One can only imagine the look onMr. Immediato's face back in 2003when representatives from the Depart-ment of Natural Resources told himthat they "would like to apply somestate-of-the-art fluvial geomorphologicaltechniques to stabilize the rapidly erod-ing stream that flows through the golfcourse." And if that wasn't bad enough,they went on to say,"In some areas wewant to actually relocate the streamchannel."

"Well, needless to say, the blankexpression on his face said it all," recallsstream restoration expert VinceSortman with Biohabitats, Inc.

It took several more meetings, pres-entations, and a lot of educating to helpThree Little Bakers management andstaff understand what stream restorationwas all about. In the end, Mr. Immediatowas so excited about the potential out-comes that he willingly assisted withsome of the expenses and also appliedfor grant funding offered by the U. S.Department of Agriculture's NaturalResources Conservation Service.

As time moved forward, the restora-tion team became increasingly excitedabout the possibility of implementing arestoration project in this area becausethis watershed possessed a number ofunique environmental features. It waspart of the White Clay Creek water-

shed, a designated National Wild &Scenic River System. It was one of thefew trout-stocked streams in the state.It provided a habitat corridor in an areaof dense development and a potentialmigratory corridor for the endangeredbog turtle. But most importantly, itserved as a source of public drinkingwater.

The team established several goalsfor the project, including: stabilizationof the stream banks to reduce erosion,creation of habitat by putting insequences of riffles and pools in thestream channel and planting the bankswith a large number of native trees andshrubs, improving the water quality,

reducing the number of out-of-bankflooding events, and restoring andmaintaining the natural features ofthe stream.

Over the next two years, theEcological Restoration Team workedon obtaining the additional funds thatwere needed to cover the planning andconstruction costs. The services ofBiohabitats, Inc., located in Timonium,Maryland, were secured to assist withthe restoration design plans and con-struction oversight. Departmental per-sonnel busied themselves with obtain-ing the necessary permits from a hostof different federal, state, and localagencIes.

Before construction, the banks where thestream crosses the 16th fairway were lined withnondescript rocks known as "rip-rap" (above).The same area has been restored to a morenatural state (left) using logs, tree stumps,boulders, and live-branch willow layering tostabilize the banks and create habitat for fish,macro-invertebrates, and other aquatic species.An added benefit is that golfers now enjoy thenew look and sound of the revitalized stream.

By the time 2005 rolled around,everything had come together asplanned, and it was time to secure aqualified construction company withexperience in stream restoration. Mterevaluating several companies, theDepartment awarded the contract toMeadville Land Services, Inc., a mobilerestoration company from northwesternPennsylvania.

In early March 2005, DelawareGovernor Ruth Ann Minner kicked offthe project at a rainy groundbreakingceremony, Department of Natural.Resources Secretary John Hughesturned the first excavator bucket of soil,and it was time for Meadville's crew to

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go into action. Over the next six months they installed a series of meander bends to reduce flow velocities and a host of restoration structures that not only stabilized the banks and channel bot­tom but also maintained a natural look to the stream.

By late September, Meadville had restored 5,000 linear feet of Pike Creek, the largest stream restoration project ever undertaken in Delaware. In addition to restoring the stream, three acres of floodplain "wetlands were created in several areas adjacent to the stream channel. The largest wetland complex was once a grassy field routinely mowed by the grounds crew.

The final phase of the project in­volved the planting of more than 3,500

native trees and shrubs along both sides of the stream. These plantings not only help hold the stream banks in place, but they will also eventually create a canopy over the stream. This will create better habitat and improve water quality by shading and cooling the water, resulting in increased levels of oxygen in the water column for fish and other aquatic species. Post-restoration biological monitoring will continue at the site to evaluate fish and macro-invertebrate communities and will be compared to pre-restoration data. This analysis will help determine the effectiveness of the restoration effort and will be considered when planning future projects.

The project took a lot of work and involved a number of partners, includ­ing Three Little Bakers, Christina Basin

Clean Water Partnership, U. S. Environ­mental Protection Agency, Delaware Department of Transportation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, New Casde Conservation District, Partner­ship for the Delaware Estuary, and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Was the effort worth it? Linda Stapleford, river administrator for the White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic River Program, gives the project high marks. "It has made a significant improvement to the stream and will have positive impacts to the ecological health of the White Clay Creek water­shed," she said.

Jim Rose agrees, along with a lot of golfers who were able to watch the en­tire project unfold as the construction

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(Far left) The Three Little Bakers restoration project serves as anexcellent outdoor classroom for students, the general public, andenvironmental professionals.

(Left)There is nothing like the scenic beauty and sound of ababbling stream that came into existence when this sequence ofstep pools was constructed near the 15th green. It was created toallow for upstream fish passage that was previously impossiblebecause of a concrete structure that existed across the streamchannel.

(Below) The six-month-Iong construction phase was sequencedso that no holes were ever closed to golfers.The ball was alwaysin play!

work was sequenced so that no holeswere ever closed. "We are extremelypleased with the positive contributionsthis project has made to enhanceDelaware's environment as well as whatit has done to beautify our course,stabilize our stream banks, and create amore scenic and relaxing setting for thegolfing community;' Jim said. "It was sowell worth all the long-term planning.This project is truly a 'hole in one'!"

STEVE WILLIAMS worksfor the Divisionof Soil and Water Conservation and is theEcologicalRestoration Coordinatorfor theDelaware Department of Natural Resourcesand Environmental Control, overseeingstream and wetland restorationprojectsthroughout the state.

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