Projects > Big Hole River Bank Stabilization & Habitat Restoration

Confluence was contracted by the Arctic Grayling Recovery Program to complete two bank stabilization and floodplain revegetation projects along the Big Hole River between Wisdom and Jackson Montana. The bank stabilization projects were completed to slow the rate of channel migration and reduce the recruitment of transportable bed material to the river. The toe of each bioengineered bank was stabilized by excavating a key trench in the riverbed and installing a blanket of round cobbles. The upper banks were regraded to a 3:1 slope and completely covered with sod mats. A row of willow cuttings were placed on top of the cobble toe material and extended slightly beyond the waters edge at low flow. The upper banks were stabilized with approximately 50 transplanted mature willows from a nearby borrow source. Each bank was approximately 500 feet long, for a total stabilized bank length of 1000 feet.