Natural Channel Design Review Checklist Workshop

This workshop provides participants with training on how to use the Natural Channel Design Review Checklist that was published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The checklist was co-developed by Will Harman and Rich Starr.

The course starts with an overview of the checklist structure and document. Presentations and exercises (both classroom and field) are used to teach participants how to complete each section of the checklist. The presentations provide conceptual and background information needed to understand the purpose of the checklist question and section. The exercises apply the checklist to an actual natural channel design project, so that by the end of the fourth day the checklist has been completed. Ancillary presentations and exercises are used to provide participants with tools to identify fatal design flaws and flags that could indicate a potential for excessive maintenance. The last day of the workshop includes a field visit to a local natural channel design project. A complimentary site-inspection form is used to evaluate the project.