“ Instead , we are studying the historical evolution of these systems ,” Bloyd explained . “ Generally , our goal is to reintroduce the complexity that these streams have lost , allowing water to slow down and spread out across the floodplain .” By reducing the speed at which water travels downstream , this approach enhances downstream water quality and mitigates erosion .
The post-fire conditions in the Poudre River watershed in Colorado provided the “ perfect storm ” to implement LTPBR techniques . The need was there , and LTPBR was a way to get the most from the grant money that was available to fund the continuing post-fire restoration work . Importantly , with the work needing to be done in more remote locations , LTPBR was by far the best solution . “ We can ’ t drive a car there ; we needed to use hand-crews ,” Heiden said . “ With the impairment to water quality post-fire combined with the remoteness of the burn scar , there was an accelerated need to look into this implementing low-tech solutions .”
Cost and Accessibility : Low-tech process-based restoration ( LTPBR ) structures can be assembled by handcrews and do not require expensive heavy machinery . It expands restoration access to new locations where machinery cannot go .
Scalable : LTPBR works best when part of a larger whole . Many structures along with other recovery practices can contribute to the healing of an entire watershed .
Permit Process : Permitting tends to be much less intensive for LTPBR . For example , 404 permitting typically falls under a nationwide permit .
Barry said a key part of the success of this project was having such a large scale to work with . “ To do a softer , low-tech approach you need to do it everywhere to see results ,” Barry said . “ Because ( low-tech ) is easier to implement faster and cheaper , we could do more . That is what pushed the snowball down the hill , and we just kept building momentum .”
Quick Turn-Around Time : LTPBR structures can be built very quickly . Once they are familiar with construction , a crew of four can build eight structures a day . This can be extremely useful in scenarios where emergency funding and recovery must occur swiftly .
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