In June 2012, a 9-plus-inch rain event caused significant flooding, erosion, and slope failures in northeastern Minnesota. Barr provided evaluation, permitting, design, and construction-observation services for stabilization of multiple trout streams in the City of Duluth. In many streams, the slope failures were so severe that gravel and debris jams choked off the main stream channels.
Barr performed initial damage assessments to identify priority areas for stabilization in order to protect public infrastructure from further damage and to restore trout habitat on these urban streams. We also assisted the city with applying for state funding. As the design engineer, Barr developed detailed design for project reaches on four trout streams. The largest project includes 1,200 feet of newly created, high-quality trout habitat and a fish-passage culvert on Coffee Creek, which runs through a city-owned golf course. The varied conditions of the streams required using a number of stabilization and restoration methods. The restorations feature toe wood, root wads, and rock-vane structures for bank stabilization, as well as rock and log vanes for grade control. The designs also included vegetated reinforced-soil stabilization for geotechnical stabilization, as well as natural channel restoration, floodplain connectivity, and daylighting. All of the restoration projects were completed by 2015.