Kettle River Shoreline Restoration

The client expressed concerns over the condition and safety of her property located on an eroding cutbank along the Kettle River, within the Regional District of the Kootenay Boundary. While there was no immediate threat to structures on the property, there was a potential risk of mature Western red cedars and significant amounts of fine sediment sloughing into the channel. These conditions posed a risk of impacting downstream habitats, property, and infrastructure. Design plans were established to address the problems of erosion, bank stability, and revegetation of sensitive shoreline areas. The project activities include(d):

• Adding biodegradable silt fencing to isolate the work zone from the flowing channel.
• Clearing and grubbing work areas, re-sloping the bank with machinery, and controlling sloughing risk.
• Using machinery for clean topsoil installation where safe around existing mature trees.
• Seeding, adding coconut matting, and securing with stakes to protect exposed and disturbed soil areas.
• Installing live stakes and brush mattresses for slope stabilization.
• Restoration planting with 205 native riparian shrubs along the bank + heel of the slope.
• Seeding over the bank and disturbed soil areas with a slope-stabilization and riparian seed mixture.

Cabin was contracted by the property resident to re-establish slope stability via bioengineering methods conducted above the high-water mark of the channel and to ensure environmental values of the site were protected during construction. To ensure appropriate mitigation measures were taken, Cabin worked to develop emergency response and environmental protection plans pre-construction. By following these plans, the crew was able to safely treat slope stability concerns and help protect the property which holds great sentimental value to the client. Additionally, the crew minimized environmental disturbance throughout construction through responsible environmental monitoring and reporting. Cabin completed all of the consulting services for this contract including: the preliminary site assessment, restoration design, permitting submission, environmental reporting, First Nations consultation, and implementation for this contract.