Salmonid Restoration Federation

Curriculum

The Draft Curriculum for the Fish Passage and Engineering Field School is:

 
Aquatic species and stream crossings:
  • Ecological continuity of stream channels & Impacts of fragmenting populations
  • Overview of aquatic species of concern in California’s coastal streams
  • Characteristics of instream structures that create fish migration barriers
  • Fish swimming abilities and requirements
  • Ranking and prioritization of barriers for treatments
  • Reasons for implementing fish passage projects
Overview of Channel Morphology - Stream Crossing Interactions:
  • Causes and impacts of channel incision and aggradation
  • Channel instability and channel evolution
  • Interaction of stream crossings with channels
  • Causes of perched culverts; plunge pool vs. incision
  • Class exercise - profile interpretation
Pre-design & Project Layout:
  • Spectrum of fish passage approaches
    • Hydraulic verses Geomorphic design approaches
    • Range of ecological benefits
  • Project alignment and project profile
  • Determining Vertical Adjustment Profiles (VAP)
  • Headcut considerations
  • Selecting a design approach
  • Class exercise - setting VAP profiles
NOAA Fisheries and CDFG Fish Passage Design Guidance and Project Review Requirements:
  • Overview of fish passage design guidelines
  • FEMA and funding replacements for fish passage
  • Project Specific Requirements Submittal Checklist
  • Design Plan Criteria requirements in the Fisheries Restoration Grants Program (FRGP)
Geomorphic Based Designs:
  • Overarching principles of stream simulation
  • Stream simulation design process
    • Reference reach
    • Bed design – bed materials and shape
    • Structure sizing
    • Stability/mobility analysis: Models, design flows, bed mobility, bed stability, flood capacity
  • Low-slope design process
  • Construction techniques
  • Class exercise - develop stream simulation design for existing site
Profile Control Techniques:
  • Geomorphic based (nature-like) approaches to profile control
    • Basis of approach
    • Types of roughened channels and applications
    • Design process
  • Drop structures
    • Types (boulder, log, concrete, sheetpile weirs)
    • Shape, spacing, slope, and stability
    • Design Process
  • Construction techniques
  • Class exercise - setting design profile
Hydraulic Designs using Baffles and Fishways:
  • Design criteria and fish behavior
  • Use of baffles
  • Design and analysis procedures
  • Fishway types, applications, layouts
  • The Do’s and Dont’s
Monitoring and Adaptation
  • What questions should monitoring answer?
  • Monitoring techniques
  • Examples from previous fish passage monitoring
  • Monitoring and Success Stories
Local Case Studies
Engineering Practicum
  • Work through stream simulation design development
  • Roughened channel design development
    • Lay out chutes-and-pools roughened channel
    • Size ESM for stability
    • Analyze hydraulics for fish passage