Stoltz Bluffs River-Slope Bioengineering
Traces river-meander pressure, slope failures and sediment entering the Cowichan River, then contrasts the bioengineered section and balsam-poplar growth with continued slumping nearby.
4:15 · 23 slides · Historical presentation · No recorded narration
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Stoltz Bluffs: Cowichan River Slope Bioengineering
About this presentation
Source: Segment Stoltz Bluffs 2021. Slides by David Polster; individual image and diagram credits remain in the presentation. This video includes the complete supplied deck. It is an archive slideshow, not a recording of the spoken conference session.
Dates, costs and examples reflect the original presentation. Treatment suitability depends on current site conditions and requirements.
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Understanding the Stoltz Bluffs
Alluvial (non-bedrock) rivers meander and the meanders move downstream.
The upstream end of the Stoltz meander in 2006
The active part of the meander reached the bluffs hundreds of years ago.
A soil bioengineering project was conducted in 2001 that started the recovery of part of the slope.
Finally (2006) funds were obtained to move the river away from the bluffs.
This kept the silt from the river for a while, but did not “fix” the root cause of the silt in the river (March 4, 2008)
Slumping of the over-steepened slope continues to occur.
In the winter of 2017/18 the “Clear Creek” gully failed.
Of course some folks enjoyed the settling ponds!
Slumping continued (February 20, 2010)
And the ponds filled (February 20, 2010)
The mud was getting into the river (February 20, 2010)
Slides continue as the slope reaches a natural angle of repose (May 14, 2017)
And mud continues to get into the river (May 14, 2017)
The slopes continues to unravel (May 14, 2017)
Except the area where the bioengineering was used (October 12, 2017)
Balsam Poplar can send out new roots when the stem gets buried.
Slumping continues (February 21, 2018)
Mud continues to flow into the river (February 21, 2018)
Except the area that was bioengineered (February 21, 2018)
The bioengineered area continues to grow with Balsam Poplars spreading to adjacent areas (February 21, 2018)
November 10, 2018
Balsam Poplar is growing well on the slope.