Platte River Habitat Recovery: FSM Restoration Actions

Abstract

River restoration for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program addresses habitat recovery for three threatened and endangered bird species, the whooping crane, the interior least tern, and the Northern Great Plains breeding population of the piping plover. The three species favor habitat associated with a braided river, including a wide expanse of water and bare sand. The formerly braided central Platte River now alternates between reaches with meandering, anastomosed and braided channel characteristics. The FSM (flow, sediment, and mechanical) restoration actions, modeled with SedVeg-Gen3, are designed to re-establish a single braided channel in meandering or anastomosed reaches of the central Platte River. The three elements of FSM habitat recovery are a water plan that includes an increased 1.5-year peak flow, sediment augmentation at an upstream location in the critical habitat area, and flow consolidation at approximately five program sites. The volume of sediment needed to eliminate a trend of river bed and bank erosion was estimated with the numerical model SedVeg-Gen3. Sediment and mechanical restoration actions will occur on program lands, and program land acquisition is based on willing sellers. The FSM habitat recovery actions are linked by inter-related processes, and all three actions should be implemented concurrently.