Published by King County in June, 1993. If you are familiar with the 1993 document, and have any suggestions for revisions, please forward your comments to Jeanne Stypula. Thank you.

Synopsis:

King County published the Guidelines for Bank Stabilization Projects to assist scientists and engineers with the design of bank stabilization projects for river and streambank protection. The Guidelines document is a practical guide for assessing erosion problems, evaluating alternative solutions and designing and constructing a bank stabilization project. The document includes several types of methods that use rock, large woody debris, soil, plants and natural fabrics. These methods can be utilized to enhance fish and wildlife habitat, reduce local stream velocities, increase the structural integrity and reduce the long-term maintenance costs of bank protection projects.

The Guidelines document was developed in 1993 as part of the adopted King County Flood Hazard Reduction Plan. Since that time, the Guidelines have become a contemporary standard used throughout Western Washington. Numerous local, state and federal agencies have applied elements of these Guidelines in bank stabilization projects and portions of the document have been incorporated in technical documents developed by several state and federal agencies, including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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Download here:

• Cover, Table of Contents, and Chapter 1, Introduction to Guidelines
  (69 Kb)
• Chapter 2 - The Riverine Environment, a description of the geology and ecology of rivers and streams in Western Washington, specifically King County (160 Kb)
• Chapter 3 - Modes and Causes of Bank Failures, a discussion of different erosion and bank failure processes and how to identify which process is at work (210 Kb)
• Chapter 4 - Project Planning, an overview of what questions to ask, and what data to gather, when planning a project (96 Kb)
• Chapter 5 - Permits and Policies, a discussion of government regulations, permit requirements, and policy issues that project planners need to understand (89 Kb)
• Chapter 6 - Role and Use of Vegetation, a description of how vegetation can be used in bank stabilization, and the benefits it can provide (126 Kb)
• Chapter 7 - Design Guidelines, a discussion of various design options for different circumstances, and guidelines for how to select the best alternative (710 Kb)
• Chapter 8 - Construction Procedures, a step-by-step description of how to install bank stabilization projects (577 Kb)
• Chapter 9 - Long-Term Site Management, (69 Kb) guidelines for how to monitor projects after construction and maintain them to ensure effectiveness
• Glossary of Important Terms (57 Kb)
• References Cited (48 Kb)
• Appendix A - A Brief Description of Major River Systems in King County with Notes on Fish Utilization and Salmonid Habitat Requirements (102 Kb)
• Appendix B - Agency and Tribal Contacts (14 Kb)
• Appendix C - Methods for Riprap Design (82 Kb)
• Appendix D - Example Contract Specifications (49 Kb)