Frost Brook is a first order stream in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire that drains to Lake Wentworth. Storms in 2006 and 2007 created streamflow conditions that caused erosion and undercutting on a portion of the Cotton Valley Railroad, which is now used as a rail trail. The team of Ilex Wetland Consultants and Truslow Resource Consulting was hired by the NHDRED Division of Trails to evaluate a 500-foot reach of Frost Brook and prepare a plan to stabilize the existing bank to minimize future bank erosion.
Photo by Danna Truslow
The stream geomorphology was defined and a plan was developed to restore utilization of the floodplain. The stream restoration approach includes re-directing the thalweg away from the eroding bank using instream rock vanes and boulders to re-direct and deflect stream energy. Rock gabions and root wads will protect the undercut bank and promote deposition and bank slope moderation. Re-vegetation of the slope with native plants is also proposed. This design will allow the stream to assume a more natural pattern. The design and subsequent monitoring will allow the stream to use its floodplain without attacking the vulnerable slope. The design has been approved by the Wolfeboro Conservation Commission and the NH Wetlands Bureau and restoration was completed in 2012.
Client/Collaborators
Services Provided
- Hydrology, Geomorphology, & Restoration