Stream Restoration Protocols were created by an expert panel and are used by Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Trust Fund. There are five protocols within stream restoration. These practice types require additional inputs in order to calculate the estimated reductions.

This article provides all of the qualifying conditions and input information that you will find in the FieldDoc system when entering your information for Protocol 3. It is provided in order to help you prepare your information during the project set up process.

Find information on each protocol visit their respective articles

Protocol 1 - Prevented Sediment

Protocol 2 - Denitrification in the hyporheic zone

Protocol 3 - Floodplain reconnection

Protocol 4 - Stormwater performance standard

Protocol 5 - Outfall and gully stabilization

And read this article for steps and videos ons how to add your stream restoration practice to your project.

The channel or gully slope below the source must exhibit predictive indicators for severe erosion or hill-slope failure and must be observed to be actively enlarging or degrading.

The project should utilize a comprehensive approach to stream channel design, addressing longterm stability and resiliency of the channel, banks, and floodplain.

Each project must comply with all state and federal permitting requirements, including 404 and 401 permits, which usually contain conditions for pre-and post-project assessment and post construction monitoring.

Projects need to meet post-construction stability criteria and successfully establish needed vegetation. Projects should maintain or improve existing native riparian vegetation in the headwater stream corridor to the extent possible. Projects should follow regulatory agency guidance regarding compensation for any losses of forest, wetlands and sensitive habitats within project work areas.

Projects should avoid the use of pipe extensions or drop structures unless it can be demonstrated that they are needed to sustain channel stability and they do not introduce new aquatic organism passage issues.

The project should provide functional lift within the project reach, typically as indicated by improvements of Levels 2 (Hydraulics) and when possible 3 (Geomorphology) of the stream functions pyramid (Harman et al , 2011).

The project directly addresses a headcut, with severe vertical incision (progressive bedlowering).

The project MUST NOT introduce barriers or challenges to aquatic organism passage or degrade instream habitat. Projects should always seek to improve passage of aquatic organisms and aquatic habitat where possible.

Drop structures, extension of an existing storm drain pipes, stormwater collection features, and scour protection or other hard armoring techniques used in OGSPs are not eligible for credit in perennial or intermittent channels.