The Sawmill site in the Lewiston area was rehabilitated in 2009.
The site consisted of many features, one of which was a side channel originally constructed in the 1980s as a temporary fish hatchery. This side channel had been converted to a semi-naturalized channel afterward, but still had a simple form with steep banks and minimal floodplains. TRRP created floodplanes along the banks of the side channel, planted riparian vegetation, and added more wood to the channel to encourage flow and habitat diversity.
These later characteristics take time to develop. TRRP generally intends channel rehabilitation to be a starting-point for recovery, allowing the river to work with a fresh start from our constructed features and to develop naturally.
Sawmill site in Lewiston area showing the side channel before channel rehabilitation, March 2008.
Sawmill site in Lewiston area showing the side channel just after channel rehabilitation, photographed February 2010.
Sawmill site in Lewiston area after several years of development, rehabilitated in 2009, photographed April 2017.