Restoring a First Order Stream and Adjacent Riparian Wetlands In West Virginia: Integrating Lessons from Science and Practice

Stream and wetland mitigation knowledge and understanding are rapidly evolving. However, the objectives of mitigation are wide-ranging. In 2021, a branch of Deckers Creek (Preston Co., West Virginia, USA) was restored by bank recontouring, reconnecting the incised channel to the constructed bankfull bench floodplain, creating small wetlands, and planting native riparian vegetation. Our research objectives were to 1) provide annual biodiversity and abundance data before, during, and after mitigation efforts and 2) assess woody-vegetation growth (height and diameter) and survivorship of a 10% biochar and 90% compost mixture. The complexity of mitigation warrants discussing challenges before, during, and after mitigation occurs. During restoration efforts, we encountered several challenges that were overcome through perseverance and collaboration. We incorporated ideas and practices from academia and the private sector to provide a detailed list of challenges encountered during our mitigation efforts, the solutions enacted, and future management implications to streamline mitigation planning.