Riverbank Restoration Project

Mianus River

This project is located just south (downstream) of the intersection of the River Road Trail and the Inner Road Trail. (This text and a slideshow of the project can be viewed here).

In June 2004, John Monroe of the National Park Service, provided an assessment of sections of the riverbank, that were subject to heavy erosion.

After years of behind-the-scenes collaboration, a Pilot Project for hardening the Mianus River riverbank against erosion by floods and heavy visitor usage, was completed on June 5th, 2010.

The project began in 2006, with the erection of a deer fence to protect plantings from deer browse and to reduce visitor impact on the riverbank between the deer fence and the river.

In 2008 the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU) became involved, by planning the Pilot Project just downstream of the deer fence, in an area of the stream heavily damaged by flooding in April 2007.

First, the riverbank was built up and reinforced with large rocks. Then, two stone vanes were built into the river.

"Two stone vanes jutting into the stream channel on the Mianus River will help prevent further bank erosion while also causing the center of the stream to be scoured out, adding deeper pools which will serve as protective lies for trout." (rollover photo for highlight)

To direct visitor access to the river via the hardened riverbank and the two stone vanes, a rock path was then built from the River Road Trail to the river.

Deer fences on either side of this rock path serve two purposes:

1. To allow planting and growth of native plants (protected from deer browse) to hold the soil from eroding into the river, and
2. To direct visitors via the hardened rock path to the stone vanes in the river, in order to reduce erosion caused by visitors using un-hardened sections of the riverbank.

This project was spearheaded, planned, and coordinated by the TU's Mianus Chapter Secretary Jeff Yates, in collaboration with his father, Tom Yates. (see diagram of plan proposal)

The Pilot Project was finally completed with replanting and fencing of the area immediately south of the rock path, on June 5th, 2010.

Funding for the construction of the site and the stone vanes, including the plantings inside the downstream deer fence,was donated by the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Funding for the downstream deer fence was provided by Greenwich Associates, a local financial consulting firm, which also contributed the labor for erecting the fence and doing the planting, assisted by members of Trout Unlimited and the Friends of the Mianus River Park.

The upstream deer fence and plant material and labor was contributed originally by the City of Stamford; and then on June 2, 2010, plantings and labor were contributed by the Master Gardener program of the Bartlett Arboretum, under the supervision of Sue Sweeney.

Refreshments for the volunteers, upon completion of the project, was provided by the CT chapter of the New England Mt Biking Association and Greenwich Associates.

Planning for additional riverbank restoration sites is now underway, with focus on at least two major problem areas.