Over the years, the Yellow River in Starke County experienced significant sediment issues, primarily due to the eroding streambanks.
The Yellow River stream restoration pilot project was intended to implement a more natural, sustainable, environmentally-sensitive method of restoring the streambanks. Starke County’s aim was to prove that the unconventional method works as intended, reducing land and property loss as well as risk, while providing a long-term solution.
Burke provided restoration design, incorporating the two wood (or brush toe) method, which had not been used anywhere else in the state at the time. By burying available trees in the bank on the outside of a bend and adjusting the shape of the channel to change how flow happens, Burke reduced the amount of man-made materials in the river and also kept costs to a minimum.
Burke's services included:
- Stream restoration design
- Toe wood (or brush wood) method to stabilize banks
- Environmental permitting
- Regulatory agency and stakeholder coordination
- Bidding assistance
- Construction observation