Skip to main content

Chapter 6: Low-Tech Restoration Project Implementation

Chapter 6 Cover

The sixth chapter is targeted at practitioners responsible for implementing low-tech process-based restoration projects. It focuses on the three primary components of implementation, covering:

  • Consultation and Permitting
  • Construction
    • Building Materials for Low-Tech Structures
    • Tools & Equipment for Building Low-Tech Structures
    • General Construction Guidance
  • Evaluation

Chapter 6 also has appendices on:

  • Appendix A: Post Driver Information
  • Appendix B: Wood Replenishment with Griphoists

⬇️ Download Chapter 6 (PDF)

ResearchGate PDF
Full PDF available for free at ResearchGate, but requires a free account.

Implications for Practice

  • Key phases of restoration project implementation include obtaining regulatory consultations and permits, construction, monitoring, and adaptive management.
  • The application of beaver dam analogues (BDAs) and post-assisted log structures (PALS) as low-tech tools for process-based restoration is an emerging approach. Practitioners may need to work closely with local regulators to increase awareness of the practice and expected outcomes.
  • Unlike traditional restoration practices, where construction is generally performed by specialized contractors or heavy equipment operators, low-tech structures are often hand-crafted and can be built by a much broader range of practitioners (e.g., volunteers, conservation corps, professionals).
    • This allows greater community involvement, but does require additional safety and logistical considerations.

Bennett, S.N., Wheaton, J.M., Bouwes, N., Camp, R., Jordan, C.E., Macfarlane, W.W., Maestas, J.D., Shahverdian, S., and Weber, N. 2019.
Chapter 6 – Low-Tech Restoration Project Implementation.
In: Wheaton, J.M., Bennett, S.N., Bouwes, N., Maestas, J.D., Shahverdian, S.M. (Editors), Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration of Riverscapes: Design Manual.
Utah State University Wheaton Restoration Consortium, Logan, UT. 38 pp.
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25043.22567

👉 Low-Tech PBR Recipes
👉 Low-Tech PBR Contractors