Recycled Christmas Trees in Stream Restoration Projects: Results 10 Years Later
Last year, the Christmas Tree Lab research team were able to support the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority with installing recycled Christmas trees into Sheldon Creek to act as a sediment capture device and prevent soil erosion along the creek’s banks. Through this experience, the team was able to learn about river restoration techniques and how recycled Christmas trees can support these efforts. This led our team to wonder: what would the results of this restoration project look like?
Fast forward to this summer, our team had the opportunity to visit a site where one of these restoration projects was implemented 10 years ago. Credit Valley Conservation Authority took our team in for a site visit at Upper Credit Conservation Area in Alton, Ontario, to show us where they installed recycled Christmas trees into the Credit River 10 years ago to see what the site looks like today.
Overhead view of the Credit Valley River at Upper Credit Conservation Area - the site where some of the trees were installed 10 years ago.
When we first arrived at the site, it looked like any seemingly normal river would. Even as we strapped on our hip waders and entered the river, it was hard to notice where the restoration project started. As we stood in the river, the knowledgeable staff from CVC shared their recounts of this project and its implementation, and drew our attention to the little stumps of Christmas trees that were still present at the bank’s edge.
Our team was awestruck at how we didn’t notice the trees at first! Over the years, the Christmas trees were able to collect so much sediment that they re-established the strength of the bank. CVC invited us to step up onto the newly formed bank, to which we were delighted to discover solid ground beneath our feet. This project had been so successful that the Christmas trees re-established the bank and allowed for vegetation to grow onto the newly formed land.
Restoration projects, such as this one, are important to ensure that ecosystems are able to thrive even after experiencing human disturbances. In this case, this land was used for agricultural uses before being donated to the Credit Valley Conservation Authority. Cattle would access the river for water, which over time weakened and widened the riverbank. This led to a shallower river with little to no shade coverage from nearby vegetation, allowing the river to increase in temperature. Cold-water species that live in the river, such as the brook trout, faced negative implications as a result of the change in river conditions.
By installing the Christmas trees to capture sediment and rebuild the river bank, the water’s temperature has been able to slowly return to its ideal temperature range. This has been evident in the brook trout population’s recovery and presence in this river system again. Thanks to the work of Credit Valley Conservation Authority with the help of recycled Christmas trees, this ecosystem has been on its way to a healthy recovery. Click here to learn more about this restoration project, and other restoration approaches being used at this site.
Our team would once again like to thank the incredible staff at Credit Valley Conservation Authority for taking the time to show our team around this site and for sharing their wealth of knowledge with us. We are grateful to have had this opportunity to see how Christmas tree restoration activities look after time has passed to further appreciate why this work is important.
