Water Resources Collections and Archives

Following settlement in the 1940’s along the Wildcat Creek floodplain, reoccurring flooding drew attention to the need for flood control in the area. Four decades later, a flood control and riparian restoration project was completed in 1989; however, the project design proved to be a failure, and lateral migration of the creek caused continued flooding within the community. Approximately twelve years later, an improved channel design and restoration project, including a defined low-flow meandering channel, was completed. Since this time, flooding within the community has not occurred, and the channel geometry has been reasonably stable. We surveyed two cross-sections along the channel floodplain and compared channel geometry to recent and baseline surveys conducted following the original construction. Our results indicate a gradual buildup of sediment on the floodplain since the 2000 restoration project. Within the main channel, however, deepening has occurred, indicating a reversal from sediment accumulation to sediment removal and transport. We draw conclusions about the natural sustainability of the channel and discuss the implications for management and maintenance strategies.