Restoration of a 600-ft-long stream corridor began with the carefully sequenced demolition of an abandoned, century-old paper mill. Crews used a concrete crushing jaw to minimize noise and save space, surgically demolishing the mill’s substructure while reinforcing the remaining exterior walls to help stabilize an adjacent property. Shoring boxes placed inside the creek contained steel plates that kept concrete from entering the stream and eliminated the need for cranes and concrete saws.

After demolition, the creek channel was reconstructed as a more natural stream to provide year-round fish passage for salmon and other aquatic species. It also allows separation between the aquatic life and legacy contaminants that might remain in the sediment. GPS technology guided the installation of five different types of rock mixes to achieve a well-graded streambed, while strategically placed boulders support stream habitat by maintaining natural flows and creating eddies and pools.

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