USFW Wyoming Assessment and Design Workshop

USFW Wyoming Assessment and Design Workshop

June 23-27, 2025

Description

The workshop is intended to provide more advanced instruction related to riverscape assessment and design of low- tech’ process-based restoration (LTPBR) for resource managers, land-owners, and conservation groups. We will review principles guiding low-tech process-based restoration, beaver ecology, and construction and logistics approaches for low-tech structures, including Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs) and Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS). However, the focus of the workshop will be on gaining a greater understanding of the questions to ask during the assessment and design processes, how to identify and manage uncertainty, and how to implement projects in an adaptive management framework to maximize “learning by doing”. There will be a review of potential GIS tools to assist in the planning process, but we will not be providing training on the tools. We will also provide updates on lessons learned from assessing, planning, and implementing dozens of LTPBR projects across a wide variety of geographic settings. A LTPBR website is provided which includes more in-depth information including links to digital copies of a low-tech process-based restoration manual and pocket guide, and many online lecture series which can be viewed either as videos or pdf documents. We encourage workshop participants to review Module 1 online or read chapter 1 from the Low-tech Manual before the workshop. Digital copies of the manual and pocket guide are available free of charge from the low-tech webpage.

How to Get There

  • We will meet for lectures at the Donald E. Young Sports and Fitness Center Monday, June 23rd from 9:00am-2:00pm, and Thursday, June 26th from 8:30am-10:00am.
    • 1625 St Joe St, Spearfish, SD 57799; classroom 214; park in public parking lot (no fee)
  • We will travel to field sites each day to conduct assessments and develop LTPBR designs (see map of sites and agenda below)
  • We may meet at the USFS offices in either Spearfish or Sundance Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings to go over logistics and clarify workshop topics as needed

Map of Sites

Via Google Maps

What’s Provided

  • Lunch each day
  • Digital copies of presentations and background documents
  • Carpooling - please request ahead of time

What to Bring

  • Closed toe footwear, clothes you can get dirty in
  • Wading boots or waders
  • Water and snacks
  • PPE (sun protection, ear protection, work gloves, eye protection, hard hat)
    • Some PPE will also be available on-site (please request ahead of time)

Reading Material

Please review these papers for discussions throughout the workshop (available on the Black Hills workshop website linked below)

Nash et al. 2021

Wohl et al. 2019 – Wood regime

Supporting Materials

Agenda

Monday, June 23

1. Introductions & Agenda

9:00-9:30: Introductions, Agenda, & Goals of Workshop

  • Logistics, Agenda, Introductions, and Goals

    • 2. Background and Principles

    9:30-9:45: Background (PG p.5, DM Ch.1)

    • What we've lost and importance of structure
    • Questions/Discussions 5-10 mins

    9:45-10:00: Guiding Principles (PG p.1, DM Ch.2)

    • Process-based Restoration Principles
    • Riverscape and Restoration Principles

    Section Questions/Discussions 5-10 mins

    • Review papers

    3. Assessment, Uncertainty, Design, & Implementation

    10:00-10:45: Connecting Observations with Goals and Objectives (PG p.7, DM Ch.3)

    • Historic Imagery - Matt Scott
    • Assessment and Interpretation
    • Setting - regimes (flow, sediment, and wood/vegetation), beaver, geomorphic
    • Uncertainty - risk, adaptive management, and expectation management
    • Questions/Discussions/Exercises 10-15 mins

    10:45-11:00 - BREAK

    11:00-11:15: Planning & Design Process (PG p. 20, DM Ch.5)

    • Riverscape models
    • Elements of a LTPBR design

    11:15-11:30: Low-tech Approaches & Implementation (PG p.23, DM Ch.4&6)

    • Low-tech toolbox (beaver mgt, riparian mgt, forestry mgt, structures)
    • Questions/Discussions 5 mins

    Section Questions/Discussions 10-15 mins

    4. Science & Policy

    11:30-11:45 Science behind Low-tech process-based restoration – Steve

    • Case-studies of riparian & beaver management, and low-tech structure projects
      • Where it works; Where it does not
    • Questions/Discussions/Exercises 5-10 mins


    11:45-12:00 Permitting and Water Rights – USFS Matt Scott -Social, permitting, and legal aspects of low-tech design and implementation -Questions/Discussions 5-10 mins

    5. Discussion & Questions

    12:00-12:30. Participant Discussion Topics/Ask a Low-tech Practitioner a Question - All

    • Class participation and discussion on material presented and other topics

    12:30-14:00. LUNCH AND TRAVEL to Spearfish and Little Spearfish

    • Matt to provide directions and details

    6. Monday Field Trip

    14:00-16:30. Explore beaver and wood influenced site

    • Practice reading the riverscape and identifying and describing the influence beaver have
      • Two stops – Rod and Gun campsite and wider valley upstream (1-1.5 hrs)
    • Review role of wood in streams
      • One stop where tornado blow down is significant (< 0.5 hrs)

    Tuesday, June 24

    Tuesday Field Trip

    8:00-12:00 Beaver Creek. Assessment and Design

    • Lower site and River Left Trib
      • Assess condition, observations, risk, and uncertainty
      • Design LTPBR structures and approach for site
      • Expectations and monitoring

    13:00-16:00 Whitelaw Creek. Assessment, Design, and Implementation

    • Implement LTPBR at Whitelaw
      • Go over safety procedures
      • Install large BDAs and 2-3 PALS
    • Review and discuss experience

    Wednesday, June 25

    Wednesday Field Trip

    08:00-16:00. East Fork Blacktail: Assessment and Design Tour

    • Field visit to East Fork Blacktail
      • Observations, risk, and uncertainty
      • Review structures … monitoring
    • Design approach
      • Expectations and monitoring

    Thursday, June 26

    Thursday Field Trip

    08:00-10:00. Review in classroom at BHSC

    10:00-16:00. Rapid and Silver Creek: Assessment and Design Tour

    • Rapid Creek
      • Trailhead assessment
      • Beaver and risk
    • Silver Creek and Green Gulch
      • Review construction
      • Review Experiment

    Friday, June 27

    Friday Field Trip

    08:00-13:00. Prairie streams: Assessment and Design Tour

    • Field visit to Prairie streams
      • Observations, risk, and uncertainty
      • Review structures … monitoring
    • Design approach
      • Expectations and monitoring