The Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) worked with project partners to restore Mullins Branch, on the University of Arkansas Campus in Fayetteville, AR.  An urban stream restoration plan was designed and implemented to reduce sediment erosion and The project was funded by an EPA Section 319(h) grant administered by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission with matching funds provided by the City of Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas. The project reach consists of a 1,000-foot stretch of Mullins Branch located on campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR.

The WCRC utilized natural channel design principles to reduce streambank erosion and sediment loads.  The design implementation included critically placed rock structures that deflect flow away from the banks and improved riffles and pool features along the stream channel. These features increased pool habitat and water and aeration within the system, which results in better assimilation of nutrients into the ecosystem.

The use of native vegetation is a critical component of stabilization design.  Soil mattresses, a soil layer consisting of topsoil wrapped in a coconut fiber blanket, were constructed in benches to minimize floodplain erosion during vegetation establishment.  The soil layer provides a medium for plants to take root and grow and provides additional weight to secure the trees used in the structure.  The soil mattresses or lifts were seeded with a mix of native riparian seed types.  The stream corridor was also re-vegetated with native grasses, shrubs, and trees.  As the plants continue to mature, they will help to bind the soil through root growth and reduce scour of the banks along the channel.  They will also aid in dissipating water velocity and act as a buffer to improve the removal of pollutants as the leaves, branches, and stems of the plants interact with runoff and rainfall events.