Bluffs Restoration Project
Preliminary Technical Report
UCCS Green Action Fund Grant: Spring, 2012
Prepared for:
UCCS Green Action Fund, Facilities and Administration
Prepared by:
Andrea Hassler
UCCS Restoration Club President
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. PAGE 4
PROJECT DESIGN……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… PAGE 5
MATERIALS AND EXPENSES……………………………………………………………………………………………………. PAGE 6
MONITORING DESIGN………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. PAGE 7
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. PAGE 9
DISCUSSION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. PAGE 11
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List of Figures
FIGURE 1: MAP SHOWING RESTORATION WORK SITE IN RELATION TO THE UCCS CAMPUS………………………………………………..PAGE 5
FIGURE 2: SITE OF SOIL AMENDMENT, SEEDING AND EROSION CONTROL MATTING……………………………………………………………PAGE 6
FIGURE 3: PONDEROSA PINE TRANSPLANT WITH ROCK BERM AND PVC PIPE FOR WATERING………………………………………………….PAGE 6
FIGURE 4: INSTALLATION OF COMPOST EROSION CONTROL SOCKS………………………………………………………………………………….PAGE 6
TABLE 1: MATERIALS AND EXPENSES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….PAGE 7
FIGURE 5: MATERIALS USED FOR THE PROJECT. ……………………………………..…………………………………………………………………..PAGE 7
TABLE 2: VEGETATION MONITORING DESIGN……………………………………..……………………………………………………………………..PAGE 8
FIGURE 6: VEGETATION MONITORING PLOTS……………………………………..……………………………………………………………………..PAGE 8
TABLE 3: DAUBENMIRE COVER CLASSES FOR VEGETATION REGROWTH MONITORING…………………………………………………………..PAGE 8
FIGURE 7: SEEDLINGS EMERGING FROM EC MATTING…………………………………………………….………………………………………….PAGE 10
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FIGURE 8: LARGE PONDEROSA TRANSPLANT AS OBSERVED ON JUNE 3 …………………………….……………………….…………..…..PAGE 10
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FIGURE 9: LARGE PONDEROSA TRANSPLANT AS OBSERVED ON JUNE 20 ……………………………….…………………..………………….PAGE 10
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FIGURE 10: COMPOST SOCK CHECK DAMS IN DRAINAGE ON JUNE 3 SHOWING DEPOSITION ……………………………………………..PAGE 11
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FIGURE 11: COMPOST SOCK CHECK DAMS IN DRAINAGE ON JUNE 20 SHOWING DEPOSITION ………………………………………….PAGE 11
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INTRODUCTION
In the fall of 2011, David Havlick’s Conservation and Public Lands class completed a survey and
report for Stanton Road. This road, originally developed in the early years of the University, has been left
unmaintained in recent decades since it’s closure. The current state of the road is in severe disrepair,
with numerous rills and large gullies continually forming along it’s half mile stretch up the northernmost
portion of the bluffs formation behind the UCCS campus. The consensus of the student’s reports was a
suggestion to restore the major gullies along the road and convert it to a hiking trail which connected to
the adjacent open spaces.
Since this report was completed, students and faculty have met with administration concerning
the state of the road and its future as a trail. In the spring of 2011, students completed a bluffs trail
rerouting project led by Kyle Rodman of the Restoration Club in completion of the UCCS Geography
Honor’s Thesis. A report on the current state of gullies on the bluffs was completed by two Geography
Honor’s students. In the 2012 SGA elections, a vote was placed on the ballot to increase student fees by
$80 to go towards a rec center expansion. This expansion would include the funding for restoring the
Stanton Road and a bluffs trail maintenance program to be housed in rec center programming.
The restoration club met with Susan Szpyrka (Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for
Administration) and Brian Burnett (Vice Chancellor for Administration) regarding the restoration of
Stanton Road. The result of this meeting was a commitment by the Restoration Club to increase student
involvement in bluffs’ restoration efforts in order to raise awareness and support for the future of the
bluffs’ trail. The rec center expansion bill passed, and additional sustained funding will begin for the rec
center in 2014.
A bluffs restoration project was completed on April 29th in honor of Earth Month. This project
was funded by a grant from the UCCS Green Action Fund. The goal of this project was to experiment
with different treatments to see their effectiveness in stabilizing soil and reducing sediment transport.
Three different techniques were implemented with the direction of the Restoration Club by UCCS
student volunteers. A vegetation monitoring plot was set up to evaluate the effectiveness of restoring
vegetation on a denuded space next to the rerouted trail as well as transplant survivability counts.
Photo points were collected for continued monitoring and evaluation.
The Bluffs Restoration Project was completed by the student and faculty volunteers on April
29 , 2012. All of the proposed treatments were implemented. This report provides information on the
technical planning and project implementation, monitoring technique, and a brief summary of
preliminary results. A final report will be completed and submitted to the Green Action Fund and
persons in the UCCS facilities and administration in the fall of 2012. This report will include data from
the vegetation monitoring plots, as well as observed changes through photo points.
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PROJECT DESIGN
Due to the desire by the UCCS administration, faculty and student body to restore the
bluffs to a stable state and maintain a sustainable trail system, the focus of this project was to
experiment with different vegetation regrowth and soil stabilization treatments surrounding
the existing trail. Previous research has found that an increase in vegetation will help to
mitigate the impacts of raindrop splash and rilling.
The treatments were implemented to the east of Main Hall and the Campus Services
building at the beginning of the trail. The project sites were selected due to their current state
of exposed, eroding soil as well as location to the bluffs trail and ease of access for project
implementation and monitoring. The restoration project was designed to test the effectiveness
of three different treatments in order to stabilize soils, increase vegetation, and mitigate soil
sediment transport.
FIGURE 1: MAP SHOWING RESTORATION WORK SITE IN RELATION TO THE UCCS CAMPUS WITH THE BLUFFS TRAIL (YELLOW); SOIL, SEED
AND MATTING SITE (GREY BOX), TRANSPLANTS (GREEN DOTS) AND DRAINAGE (GREY LINE) WITH COMPOST SOCKS (BLACK LINES).
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SOIL AMENDMENT, SEEDING AND EROSION CONTROL MATTING
An area adjacent to the rerouted trail was chosen for revegetation where no existing ground
cover occurred. Exposed clayey soil was
decompacted by crews using hand tools. Top soil,
compost and bio-waste fertilizer were added as
amendments to the soil. Blue Gramma (bouteloua
gracilis) and Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua dactyloides)
seed was spread and then raked in. Finally, erosion
control matting composed of shredded aspen tree
was laid over top of the seeded and amended soil
and tacked down with biodegradable stakes. After
the matting was laid, branches and rocks were
placed on top as well as buckets of water and
additional fertilizer.
FIGURE 2: SITE OF SOIL AMENDMENT, SEEDING AND EROSION CONTROL MATTING. ROCKS IN FOREGROUND DELINEATE THE TRAIL.
TRANSPLANTS
Five Ponderosa Pine (pinus ponderosa) trees were collected from
densely vegetated areas around campus by Keith Woodring of Facilities
Services. The trees varied in height from six inches to one foot tall. Holes
three feet in diameter were dug for the transplants to be placed in. A pvc
pipe was cut to the tree length and slots were sawed into the end. The pipe
was buried in the soil with the tree, slot side to the roots. A berm was built
around the downslope side of the tree to aide in water catchment. The
trees were watered with two gallons upon transplanting, and subsequent
watering occurred one month later.
COMPOST EROSION CONTROL SOCKS
FIGURE 3: PONDEROSA PINE TRANSPLANT WITH
ROCK BERM AND PVC PIPE FOR WATERING.
Filtexx compost socks filled with compost from A-1 Organics
were obtained from Environmental Supply based in Platteville,
Colorado. The socks were placed as check dams in an active drainage
downslope from the bluffs trail. They were 10 feet long and 12 inches
in diameter, placed 2-3 feet apart in the channel perpendicular to the
anticipated flow. The ends of the socks were sloped uphill, and were
staked in using eight inch long wooden stakes. Upstream from the
sock, rocks were placed to help mitigate the potential water flow.
FIGURE 4: INSTALLATION OF COMPOST EROSION CONTROL SOCKS
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Bluffs Restoration Materials and Expenses List
Item
Cost
Compost Socks
Erosion Control
Matting
Greenstakes
Seed
Seed
Fertilizer
Topsoil
compost soil
$ 52.00
Delivery
Plaque
Quantity Total
3
$
156.00
76.25
47.60
18.67
20.48
13.11
29.75
36.50
2
1
1
1
2
0.5
0.5
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
152.50
47.60
18.67
20.48
26.22
14.88
18.25
$ 150.00
$ 35.00
1
1
$
$
150.00
35.00
$
639.60
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Total Expenses:
TABLE 1: MATERIALS AND EXPENSES
FIGURE 5: MATERIALS USED FOR THE PROJECT.
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Distributor
Green Earth
Environmental
Description
Environmental Supply
Environmental Supply
Agri-Feed
Agri-Feed
Agri-Feed
CNC sand
CNC sand
Green Earth
Environmental
Facilities Services
Aspen and Coconut
Biodegradable (to tack ec mat)
Blue Gramma (per pound)
Buffalo Gramma (per pound)
"Millorganite" Biosolids
topsoil-cow manuer-compost mix
"blue grow, biocompost1"
10' long X 12" diameter
Delivered April 28th
MONITORING DESIGN
Photos were taken before, during and after project completion as baseline observations.
The following measures will be taken to indicate trends in vegetation regrowth, transplant
survivability and gully morphology. Precipitation and wind readings, amongst other
meteorological metadata, will be collected from a local satellite maintained by UCCS facilities
and monitored by the UCCS Office of Sustainability. This information will be correlated with the
following measures to monitor vegetation regrowth and channel aggradation. As discussed
previously, a positive trend of increased vegetation over time will indicate the potential for
decreased erosion and sediment transport (CITE).
SOIL AMENDMENT, SEEDING AND EROSION CONTROL MATTING
A monitoring plot was developed to evaluate vegetation regrowth revegetation project. The plot
was laid out as follows:
Buffalo Grass,
No Soil Amendment
Blue Gramma Grass,
No Soil Amendment
Buffalo Grass,
Top Soil Amendment
Blue Gramma Grass,
Top Soil Amendment
Buffalo Grass,
Compost Amendment
Blue Gramma Grass,
Compost Amendment
TABLE 2: VEGETATION MONITORING DESIGN
All plots were treated with a bio-solids fertilizer. The plots
were on set up on a Southern aspect on a relatively flat,
roughly a 0-3 degree, slope. Percent cover will be quantified
using the Daubenmire method will be used to monitor
percent coverage after summer the summer monsoon
season. This method measures the percent cover as either
grass, erosion control matting or bare soil. A transect will be
run through the middle of the plot at the division between
the different grass seeds. At every 20 cm, a 20 cm by 50 cm
frame will be placed adjacent to the transect to assign cover
classes for observed percent cover.
FIGURE 6: VEGETATION MONITORING PLOTS
Cover Class
Percent
Cover
1
0-5%
2
6-25%
3
26-50%
4
51-75%
TABLE 3: DAUBENMIRE COVER CLASSES FOR VEGETATION REGROWTH MONITORING
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5
76-95%
6
95-100%
TRANSPLANTS
Transplants will be measured based on percent survivability (referring to persistence of
green needles) for each of the five transplants. Monitoring will include information on
transplant size, location, slope and aspect, as well as any observed drainage phenomenon that
could be impacting the plant (i.e. ponding).
COMPOST EROSION CONTROL SOCKS
Observations will be made of geomorphic patterns in the area up and downstream from each
sock. Any obvious ponding and deposition or rilling, headcutting or gullying will be observed. Photo
points will be taken to compare channel morphology over time.
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PRELIMINARY RESULTS
The Bluffs Restoration Project has had one restoration work day on April 29th, 2012. There were
11 students from various departments and organizations(Geography and Environmental Studies,
Nutrition, a Resident Hall, Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability (SEAS), Student
Activities, Engineering and Alumni) as well as two faculty volunteers (Carole and Tom Huber). A total
area of 50 square feet of soil was amended, seeded and covered in erosion control matting. Five
Ponderosa Pines were transplanted on south facing slopes. Three Compost Erosion Control socks were
installed in 15 feet of a 30 foot long drainage. Sodexo donated pizza, a cheese and fruit tray, as well as
beverages to the working crews.
The plots have been visited in the beginning and end of the month of July. Photos were taken
and observations were made on grass seedling regrowth, transplant
survivability and sediment transport. The following is preliminary
results of these visits. The proposed monitoring will not take place
until after the monsoonal season when the plants and bare soil have
been exposed to high precipitation events.
SOIL AMENDMENT, SEEDING AND EROSION CONTROL MATTING
The first June visit found no grass seedlings emerging from
the treated site. Upon revisiting at the end of June, over 20 grass
seedlings were observed throughout the entire area. The erosion
control matting had changed colors, and appeared to be breaking
down however continuing to provide ground coverage.
FIGURE 7: SEEDLINGS EMERGING FROM EC MATTING
TRANSPLANT SURVIVABILITY
To date, three of the five transplants have survived. One transplant had obvious ponding, and
clay had been deposited in the time since planting.
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FIGURES 8 & 9: LARGE PONDEROSA TRANSPLANT AS OBSERVED ON JUNE 3 (LEFT) AND JUNE 20 (RIGHT).
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COMPOST SOCKS
There appears to be obvious ponding
behind the compost socks, with fine
sediments filling in the channel
upstream from each sock. There has
been some rilling observed
downstream from the socks. The photo
on the left was taken in the beginning
of June, and the photo on the right
over two weeks later, exemplifying the
amount of sediment that has moved
through this channel and has been
held back by the compost socks.
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FIGURES 10 & 11: COMPOST SOCK CHECK DAMS IN DRAINAGE SHOWING DEPOSITION ON JUNE 3 (LEFT) AND 20 (RIGHT).
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DISCUSSION
The goal of the restoration project was to experiment with different techniques which would
increase vegetation and soil stability in the bluffs formation behind the UCCS campus. The techniques
used were all located near the bluffs trail, and included various soil amendments, grass seed, transplant
locations and erosion control measures. Baseline observations were taken before and immediately after
the treatments were completed. Two visits have been made in the time since project completion with
photo and written observations.
This preliminary analysis found no grass seedlings in the beginning of June, but many grass
seedlings by the end of the month. Numerous grass seedlings have emerged from areas surrounding
dead branches placed on top of the erosion control matting. This is most likely due to the microsite of
shade provided by the branches, and potentially nutrients provided by the break down of the woody
debris. There was no observed difference between the treatments, however precise monitoring has not
yet taken place.
Three of the five transplants were alive at the last June visit, whereas all were alive in the
beginning of June. It appears as though the smaller transplants have been more successful than the
larger ones. One of the transplants, which was one foot tall, on a south facing 10 degree slope next to
the treated drainage, was observed as alive and healthy in the beginning of June but was dead by the
end of the month. This is most likely due to high temperatures and low precipitation.
The compost socks appear to be holding back sediment that is moving through the active
drainage. Fine sediment has accumulated behind (upstream) from the socks, indicating the ability of the
socks to slow the flow of water moving through the channel as well as ponding in some locations. There
has been some observed rilling downstream from the socks. This is potentially due to an increase in
speed of water moving through the channel as it drops over the socks as it moves downhill.
Continued monitoring will take place to determine a percent cover on vegetation plots,
transplant survivability and channel morphology after the monsoon rains. A final report will be
completed by late September and presented to the Green Action Fund as well as Facility Services and
UCCS Administration to be made available for future restoration and trail planning projects.
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