White River Restoration

Just a quick update - while we await the 2026 fish window, the only work occurring is the relocation of critical power to a safer location outside of our new floodplain and the planting of trees. The project has relocated water, sewer, gas, power, and communication lines. The final pieces are these transmission poles. Once done, we can work to complete the connection of the middle river side channel later this year. The planting is additionally occurring now. We have over 500,000 plants which will be installed between this year and next. Rodarte and their sub-contractor Ash Creek and working on the first batch of these plants now.

The flooding in December was significant, but due to the work completed on the project prior, the outcome was much better than it otherwise would have been. With nearly 1 million cubic yards of dirt removed from the floodplain, additional storage was created, reducing overall flood heights and minimizing the impact on local residents and businesses.

While the project provided a clear benefit, it wasn't fully prepared for that volume of water. Several areas of plantings were not yet established, leaving the ground vulnerable to erosion. We will repair these areas during the coming construction season and add additional wood structures in some higher risk areas. As this phase of the White River Restoration project reaches completion and work begins on future phases, we expect to see an even greater reduction in flooding risk.

See below for some photos of 24th Street in December and January, and then north of 24th in late January when the contractor got back to working on wood structures. More to come as we move into our 3rd and possible last construction season for the habitat phase.

At the start of this year's construction, I shared some aerial photos in another post. Well, we've been working for several months and as the weather turns the season is nearing the end. Thanks Parametrix for getting us some new aerial photos as shown below. Even though the main construction is coming to an end, much of this area is slated to be planted over the next several months with thousands of trees. More updates to come.

Former #9 Ditch section, note the red / blue are approx. the old trail/channel and the yellow will be the new trail. We have already had Salmon in the new channel.

This is the center channel, you can see where it'll connect to the river in the future.

Here's the northern channel through the golf course. You can see the big black walnut tree with its fall colors. This will also be connected to the river in the future.

With one of the primary goals of the project to split the river and push floodwaters out into the project area, we're installing large wood log jams in the existing main channel of the White River. The last update talked about the benefit of large wood in a project like this, but an additional benefit these in-river structures provide is channel roughness.

If you think of the river like a water slide, when it's smooth and clean the water would flow fast. If you add a second equally size water slide, but don't add more water, both slides would flow slower and shallower than the first. To avoid that, we're narrowing and roughening the main water slide (river channel), so it stays just as deep when we take away part of the flow into our new channel.

In-water work comes with its own challenges. First, we have to isolate ourselves from the river so we can work in a dry area. Then we need a team of fish biologists to capture and remove any trapped fish from the isolated area. Finally, we can pump the river down and get to work.

Fish Biologists capturing fish in the work areaLog jam being created. Much if this is below the riverbedAerial view of the log jam being constructed

Large wood structures have been going in, and you may have seen them if you've been on the north end of the trail. What are they, and why are they important?

The kind being built now is a structure built entirely from natural materials; other types of structures are supported with chain and other materials like dolos (more on those at a later date).

Here's why they're important:

• Protection from Erosion: Placed on the banks of the newly built river channels, the structures help keep the channel from eroding while giving time for plants to establish.
• Creates Diverse Habitat: Large wood helps to form deep pools and gives space in between the wood that offer salmon resting places during migration and safe nurseries for young salmon to feed and grow, protected from strong currents, and predators.
• Provides Food: Decomposing wood releases nutrients, fueling the aquatic food web that feeds young salmon.

The project will install around 130 large wood structures and drive more than 1300 wood piles.

Our inspector with Parametrix shared these initial photos from the air. Phase 1 completed 2024 left the project in this state. Phase 2 will complete the work to connect the channels shown here in addition to installing large wood, plants, and more.

The existing Sumner Link Trail through the project is closed. The area where the existing trail is located is one of the first areas which will be excavated since it is closer to the river (we did almost all we could without closing the trail summer 2024). The unaffected sections of trail will remain open, and the contractor will work to avoid closing the section between 24^th and 16^th as long as possible. Please find alternate routes.

When the trail is replaced in 2027, it will be higher and further from the river. This will reduce both the risk of river erosion (which we’ve seen in sections) and flooding (which we have closed the trail for in the past). See the mockup of the before and after below.

Current Trail

Future Trail

Phase 2 of the White River Restoration has begun and is the largest phase of the overall project. The contract was awarded to Rodarte Construction who received notice to proceed May 1st, 2025. Construction will last until 2027 and will have impacts to the public primarily through trail closures. 200 Acres of floodplain will be reconnected to the White River for the 1st time in over 100 years.