Aerial of project site post construction in May 2021.
Crews used excavators to set the 80 ft span South Bridge into place.
cbec survey crew utilizing RTK, Total Station, Single beam-echosounder, and a Hydrone remote control boat to survey the historic mill pond.
Winter-run redds visible only a month after construction in April of 2021.
Side by side comparison of the completed project.
Juvenile Chinook Salmon and steelhead observed in the side channel in September 2021.
Side channel outlet during construction. Note the temporary berm installed to block sediment from flowing into the river, as well as block fish from entering the work area.
Crews grading the side channel.
This project, located downstream of the Shasta Dam and nestled in the north end of the Sacramento Valley, restored 4.8 acres of critical salmonid spawning and rearing habitat in Redding’s Nur Pon Open Space Area.
cbec provided surveying, hydrological, geomorphological, hydraulic, design, and construction observation support, on this collaborative multi-agency effort led by Western Shasta RCD and the City of Redding. The decline of naturally spawned salmonid stocks in the region is due to many factors, most notably: river channel blockage by dams, alteration of flow patterns, and the curtailment of gravel recruitment. The purpose of the project is to increase and improve Chinook Salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat through spawning gravel replenishment and additional side-channel habitat creation. Specific emphasis is on the endangered winter-run Chinook salmon, which primarily spawns in the upper reaches of the mainstem Sacramento River during the months of April through August. Fry and smolts emigrate downstream from July through March through the Sacramento River, reaching the Delta from September through June. Notable project implementation partners include Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, Kjeldsen, Sinnock & Neudeck, Inc., Chico State Enterprises, the Sacramento River Forum, Glen Colusa Irrigation District, DWR, RD108, the City of Redding, and River Partners.
Side by side comparison of the completed project.
To achieve the project goals, cbec developed the restoration designs that included three major elements: a half mile long side channel in the floodway that connects two separate historic mill ponds, pedestrian and maintenance vehicle access via the installation of two bridges and a bottomless arch culvert, and gravel augmentation in the main stem of the river. cbec worked closely with Western Shasta RCD and the City of Redding to formulate the project elements and produce detailed design plans, specifications, and cost estimates, as well as provide bid and engineering support. cbec provided ecohydraulic design services by iteratively modeling and assessing habitat suitability of the habitat
elements to maximize rearing habitat potential in the reach and spawning opportunities in the river. The gravel augmentation utilized excavated material from the side channel, which was then sorted and selected for appropriately sized gravels (3/8”-4”) for spawning. This material was deposited into the main river where hydraulics are exceptional during typical the winter-run Chinook spawning season. This spawning bed was designed to redistribute gravel downstream under moderate flows as to not have additional flood impact. In addition to flood encroachment analysis in support of FEMA no-rise certification, cbec also served as the project manager for the design and implementation of the bridges and culvert over the new side channel. cbec worked closely with stakeholders and multiple contractors during construction from November 2020–April 2021, by providing project layout, construction supervision, public outreach, permitting support, UAS based volumes surveys, change order support, and grade check surveys.
The Nur Pon Open Space Side Channel Salmon Habitat Project was identified as a priority project by an interagency technical advisory team for CVPIA(b)(13) projects. The Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA), Section 3406 (b)(13) directs the Department of the Interior to develop and implement a continuing program for the purpose of restoring and replenishing, as needed, salmonid spawning gravel lost due to the construction and operation of Central Valley Project dams and other actions that have reduced the availability of spawning gravel and rearing habitat along a 28 mile stretch of the upper Sacramento River from Keswick Dam to Red Bluff Diversion Dam. Since 2014, the USBR’s Upper Sacramento River Anadromous Fish Habitat Restoration Program has identified 13 priority projects for implementation within Shasta County. Partial funding for this project was contributed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, as this project directly supports their doubling goal for anadromous salmonids.
Juvenile Chinook and steelhead post-construction observation.
Nur Pon Open Space Side Channel in Redding, CA – May 2021.
