Restoration Method of Small Stream using Artificial Step-pool Sequences

Abstract

Mountain streams, which are major components of an entire river network, play an important role as the source of water, sediment, coarse and fine organic matter, and nutrients for lowland rivers. Therefore, dynamics and downstream linkages of each compartment of the mountain stream can be essential for watershed management in catchment scale. The dynamics and downstream linkages are understood as a development of step-pool sequences along a river course. Recently, stream restoration after flooding event often employ the development of step-pool sequences in the world. In this paper, we 1) examined the geomorphic characteristics and the role of step-pool sequences in steep mountain streams by reviewing the results of past studies, and 2) introduced the case studies of stream restoration using step-pool sequences, and finally 3) addressed design methods considering geometry and stability of artificial step-pool sequences for stream restoration. Step-pool sequences play an important role not only as roughness with energy dissipation but also as heterogeneity of stream feature for aquatic habitat. Step-pool sequences, even if they are constructed artificially along a stream, may be effective for small stream restoration considering eco-friendly torrent controls. So far the artificial step-pool sequences were employed for mountainous streams, but those would be applied to urban stream.