Demonstration and Field Evaluation of Streambank Stabilization with Submerged Vanes

Heather Whitman*, John Hoopes*, David Poggi*, Faith Fitzpatrick**, and Kim Walz ***

*University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Department, 1415 Engineering Drive, Rm. 1261B Engineering Hall, Madison, WI 53706; PH
608-262-2977; whitman@cae.wisc.edu, hoopes@engr.wisc.edu, dmpoggi@students.wisc.edu
**U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI
53562; PH 608-821-3818; fafitzpa@usgs.gov
***Bureau of Watershed Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 101 S.
Webster St. WT/2, Madison, WI 53703; PH 608-264-9220; walzk@dnr.state.wi.us

Abstract

The effectiveness of submerged vanes for reducing bank erosion and improving aquatic habitat is
being evaluated at a site on North Fish Creek, a Lake Superior tributary. Increased runoff from
agricultural areas with clayey soils has increased flood magnitudes and the erosion
potential/transport capacity of the stream. Most of the creek’s sediment load originates from the
erosion of 17 large bluffs. This creek contains important recreational fisheries that are potentially
limited by the loss of aquatic habitat from deposition of sediment on spawning beds. Submerged
vanes are a cost effective and environmentally less intrusive alternative to traditional structural
stabilization measures. Submerged vanes protrude from a channel bed, are oriented at an angle to
the local velocity, and are distributed along a portion of channel. They induce a transverse force
and torque on the flow along with longitudinal vortexes that alter the cross sectional shape and
alignment of the channel. Submerged vanes were installed at a bluff/bend site in summer and
fall 2000. The number, size, and layout of the vanes were based upon the channel morphology
under estimated bankfull conditions. The effectiveness of the vanes will be evaluated by
comparing surveys of the bluff face, streamflow, and channel conditions for several years after
installation of the submerged vanes with surveys before and immediately after their installation.

Introduction

Submerged vanes are being evaluated as a measure to prevent further bluff erosion at a site on
North Fish Creek, a Wisconsin tributary to Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior. This creek
receives increased runoff, resulting in greater channel erosion and instability, from a combination
of agriculture and logging practices on the clay-rich soils in the watershed. The majority of the
total sediment load originates from erosion of about 17 bluffs along the upper main stem
(Fitzpatrick, 1998; Fitzpatrick and others, 1999). Submerged vanes are cost-effective alternatives
to traditional, structural, bank stabilization measures.
Northern Wisconsin tributaries to Lake Superior provide some of the highest sediment
loads observed in the Great Lakes watershed (Robertson, 1996). Upstream controls on erosion
are needed to reduce downstream transport and sedimentation rates. Reducing sediment loads of
Lake Superior tributaries is important not only for dredging issues but also for protecting or
restoring aquatic habitat. North Fish Creek, like other Wisconsin tributaries, contains important
recreational fisheries that are potentially limited by the loss of aquatic habitat from upstream

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 erosion and sediment transport that covers spawning beds. Vanes may improve the downstream
quality of gravel spawning beds by reducing sediment supplied from bluff erosion.
Submerged vanes have been installed and are being monitored in an urbanizing stream
with stream-bank erosion problems (Hoopes, 1999). They also have been successfully used to
stabilize stream banks and channel morphology in England (Newson and others, 1997) and in
low gradient, sand bed channels in Iowa (Odgaard & Wang, 1991). This demonstration study
will test their effectiveness on a flashy stream where soil bioengineering (using living plants to
protect stream banks) measures have failed. If successful, vanes could be installed at other sites
along North Fish Creek and other tributaries to Lake Superior.
In this paper, the North Fish Creek area will be described, including its geology, soils,
and bluff erosion. Submerged vanes and their benefits will be explained. Then the selection of
the site, the field surveys, and the design, layout and installation of the submerged vanes will be
presented. Finally, a plan for monitoring will be described, including the evaluation process to
determine the effectiveness of the submerged vanes. This project is a cooperative effort between
the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), with grants from the Great Lakes Commission and
the Great Lakes Protection Fund.

Description of North Fish Creek

North Fish Creek drains a122 square kilometer (km) area of Bayfield County in northwestern
Wisconsin and is a tributary to Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior. The creek flows in a
northeasterly direction; its mouth is about 1 km west of Ashland, Wisconsin. This creek is
approximately 40 km long. It is divided into an upper, middle, and lower stem based upon the
gradient of the stream as it changes from an erosion zone to a depositional zone. The area
consists of seven main land covers, with the majority being forest and grasslands (Fitzpatrick and
others, 1999). North Fish Creek is an important recreational fishery that accelerated flooding and
sedimentation problems could drastically affect.

Geology and Soils. The surficial geology of the region is comprised mainly of two formations.
The Douglas member of the Miller Creek Formation, a reddish-brown clay till up to 20 meters
(m) thick was deposited during the last glacial re-advance in the Lake Superior region. It is
underlain by the Copper Falls Formation, which is exposed in some areas along the northern and
southwestern edges of the drainage basin due to wave erosion. It consists mostly of fluvial sand
and gravel in the upper and middle strata and coarse-grained glacial till near the bottom. The
Copper Falls formation is exposed in many of the eroding bluffs along the creek’s main stem
(Clayton, 1984).
The soils in the region are mainly a silty clay loam and loamy sand. Infiltration rates in
the watershed vary greatly and represent the full range of infiltration rates for Wisconsin soils
(Krug and others, 1992). The clay-rich, Douglas Member soils have a very low infiltration rate of
0.25 centimeters (cm) per hour, while soils in the sandy sediments of the Copper Falls Formation
have a high infiltration rate of 19 cm per hour. Increased runoff from agricultural areas due to
clayey soils has increased flood volume and peak magnitudes and the erosion potential of the
stream, which explains why the creek is described as a flashy stream with frequent large floods.
The soils with high infiltration rates have little surface runoff due to recharge of springs in the

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 area. This spring flow causes the baseflow of North Fish Creek to be high compared with other
typical Wisconsin streams (Fitzpatrick, 1998).

Bluff Erosion. A study of the hydrology and geomorphology of North Fish Creek determined
that the majority of the creek’s sediment load (67 percent, 15,000 metric tons per year) originates
from the erosion of 17 large bluffs along the upper main stem and not from upland erosion
(Fitzpatrick, 1998). The average annual total sediment load for 1990-1991 from the headwaters
of North Fish Creek, located upstream of river kilometer 29, was 450 tonnes; at river kilometer
17 it was 13,790 tonnes (Rose and Graczyk, 1996). The drainage area is only two times greater at
river kilometer 17 than 29, but the sediment load is 31 times greater. Two annual sediment
budgets, estimated by Fitzpatrick (1998), compared post-settlement erosion and deposition rates
and showed that the bluffs are the major contributors of sediment.
Seventeen large eroding bluffs exist along North Fish Creek, all located within the upper
main stem. The drastic erosion of these bluffs can be seen in the photographs from 1994-2001
(Figure 1). From photographs, an average bluff erosion rate of 0.5 m per year was estimated,
based upon a bluff recession of 25 meters over 52 years (Fitzpatrick and others, 1999). The
combined amount of sediment lost from all the bluffs over the 52-year period is about 9,800
cubic meters per year. Historically, these bluffs produced approximately 15,000 tonnes of
sediment per year in the upper and transitional main stem (Fitzpatrick, 1998). Past efforts to
stabilize these bluffs through bioengineering measures have failed.

Submerged Vanes

This project will evaluate the ability of submerged vanes, an instream stabilization technique, to
reduce bluff erosion. Submerged vanes are plates that protrude from a channel bed, are oriented
at an angle to the local stream velocity, and are distributed along a portion of channel. When the
water depth is above the vanes, they induce a transverse force and torque on the flow and cause a
longitudinal vortex at the top (tip) of the vane (Figure 2) that erodes the channel bed on the side
opposite to the angle of the vane into the flow; a smaller horseshoe vortex is produced near the
bed. In a bend the vane-induced torque and vortex counter the secondary flow, caused by the
bend. The erosion, due to these vortices, moves the thalweg away from the outside of the bend
toward the point bar, causing the channel radius to increase (flatten the bend) and channel cross
sections to become more uniform (Figure 3).

Benefits of Submerged Vanes. Submerged vanes are a cost effective and environmentally less
intrusive alternative to traditional structural stabilization measures. They are a relatively recent,
innovative technique for controlling stream morphology and stabilizing a channel reach without
inducing changes upstream or downstream of that reach. They are not visible in time (buried by
depositing sediments while remaining effective) and aid the stream in doing the work by
redistributing the flow energy to produce a more uniform cross-section without an appreciable
increase in energy loss through the reach (Figure 3). The characteristics of the channel substrate
and bank are maintained, while the channel capacity does not change. They stabilize a bend by
inducing the stream to move away from the outside bank. The upper and middle portions of
North Fish Creek are typically hard to access due to steep topography, lack of roads, and
forested, swampy land. Hand installation of submerged vanes is appropriate for this remote area
and results in minimal disturbance to the channel bed.

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 North Fish Creek Vane Project

Previous studies of North Fish Creek identified critical problem areas along the entire length of
stream and sediment loads to Lake Superior (Fitzpatrick, 1998). A site was chosen from the 17
eroding bluffs in the upper main stem and a field study was performed to determine the present
channel location, a desired alignment, and required vane locations. Next, the size, shape, and
layout of the vanes were completed. Finally, vane appearance, materials, and installation issues
were addressed.

Selection of Bayfield/Ino Site. This site was chosen among the 17 eroding bluffs, based upon
channel cross-sections, amount of erosion, accessibility, and information available. Fitzpatrick
(1998) completed cross sections of the sites in her Ph.D. research. The Bayfield/Ino site was the
most interesting not only from the bluff, channel and point bar migrations (Figure 1), but also
from the relict channel (meander bend), approximately 100 m downstream of the bluff. The 1946
flood was probably when an avulsion (sudden removal of soil) occurred that changed the river’s
course. The meander was abandoned, and the channel length was shortened about 250 m,
increasing the slope at the site (Fitzpatrick, 1998). This site also was chosen due to the land
ownership and accessibility. It is on WDNR land, has a place to park a vehicle off-road, is less
than a mile walk through a wooded area, and has a winding trail down to the site (allowing
equipment to be carried in).

Bayfield/Ino Site Survey. A field survey of the site was completed in April 2000. Eight transects
(V-1 to V-8) were established using previous cross-sections. Channel cross-section and bluff top
surveys were completed using a total station. A few velocity measurements were made. A
contour map of the stream shows an undulating bed with deep holes and steep shelves made of
along the bluff side (Figure 4). The channel is wide and shallow throughout the approximate
110-degree bend. The average slope for the upper portion of the creek is 0.0159 m/m, while the
slope through the bend is significantly less. The channel bottom consists of a sand, gravel and
cobble-armoring layer above sand or consolidated clay. Boulders, carried downstream or
released from a gravel/boulder layer in the eroding bluff, occur frequently in the channel. The
bluff is approximately 21 to 24 m high and has a large seep at the center of the bend. The large
hole in the center of the bend contains a boulder approximately 1.5 m in diameter. A
consolidated clay shelf follows the right edge of water throughout the first half of the bend.

Design of vanes. Vane dimensions and layout were based upon previous experiments and field
studies, mainly those done by Odgaard and others at the Iowa Institute for Hydraulic Research
(Odgaard and Kennedy, 1983; Odgaard and Mosconi, 1987a; Odgaard and Wang, 1991a,
1991b). For the estimated bankfull state, recommended values, based upon previous studies, and
actual values for the number, size, orientation and layout of the vanes are shown in Table 1. The
vanes were arranged to induce the stream to move away from the bluff and to take a stable flow
path with a longer radius bend. The vane layout includes 35 vanes in 11 arrays (cross sections
containing vanes) with 2 arrays upstream of the bend and bluff and 9 arrays through the bend
(Figure 5). The vanes, which are made out of white, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), are
approximately 0.9 m long with variable heights, averaging 0.3*(average bankfull depth at the
section) in each array, and oriented at 20 degrees to the local velocity. The vanes were cut to the

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 approximate size in the laboratory and were modified at the site. The tops of the vanes varied
from 5 to 12 cm above the water level at low flow. For each vane, two rebar (1.9 cm diameter)
were driven into the channel bed with a sledgehammer; the vanes were attached using U-bolts
(Figure 6). The materials and aesthetics of the vanes were major concerns to Bayfield County,
WDNR, and others, regarding the aquatic habitat and natural appearance of the stream. HDPE
was chosen based upon its strength, cost, availability, ease of installation, and previous use in the
Pheasant Branch Project (Hoopes, 1999). Other materials (wood planks, rock vanes, or recycled
plastic) were considered before HDPE was chosen.

Installation Issues. The vanes were installed by hand, using a sledgehammer and a 10.16 cm x
10.16 cm x 0.91 m long piece of oak capped by HDPE (laying on bank in Figure 6), to ensure
minimal disturbance of the channel. This installation method was based on the Pheasant Branch
Project (Hoopes, 1999). A number of special conditions had to be addressed. Due to the uneven
(undulating) bed profile, the actual height of each vane was adjusted (by cutting) such that the
tops of all vanes in an array were 0.7*(average bankfull depth) below the estimated bankfull
water surface. The sand, gravel and cobble-armoring and consolidated clay made installation of
the rebar difficult in some places. A large boulder in the middle of the deep hole in the center of
the bend made installation of vanes impossible in this location. The implications of not being
able to place vanes throughout the entire bend are presently unknown; alternative measures for
the deep hole are still being investigated.

Monitoring

Monitoring involves bluff face and channel surveys and streamflow condition measurements.
Bluff and channel surveys at the demonstration site were completed in 1995, April 2000, prior to
and after installation of the vanes in summer and fall 2000. Yearly surveys are planned through
2003. These surveys will include channel cross sections along the previously described transects
and bluff retreat rates using the rebar markers at the top of the bluff (Figure 4).
Surveys of the bluff and channel are also planned after flood events. A major storm,
estimated as a 100-year event occurred in April 2001. This storm affected the site greatly
(Figure 1, 2001). The bluff was blown out at the center of the bend and a large tree came down
from the top. No vanes were located here due to the deep hole and boulder. This location is also
where a large seep occurs in the bluff. On the other hand, the downstream end of the bluff
appears to have had minimal disturbance, and some vanes showed sediment accumulation.
Cross-sections of the channel and lower bluff were taken and will be compared to cross-sections
before the vanes were installed and to cross-sections after future storms.

Evaluation. The performance of the submerged vanes will be evaluated using channel and bluff
face surveys and channel morphology and local streamflow measurements before and after vane
installation. The cross sections will quantify changes in the shape and location of the channel. It
is expected that the main channel will shift toward the point bar, sediment will accumulate
locally around the vanes, and the channel slope will increase. The bluff surveys will be used to
compare pre- and post-installation bluff retreat rates. Pictures will be compared to determine if
the bluff face slope has become less steep and more stable. Velocity measurements before the
vanes were installed will be compared to measurements after installation to determine if more
water is flowing along the point bar side of the channel.

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 Conclusion

A demonstration study to evaluate the effectiveness of submerged vanes in stabilizing a high,

unstable, sandy bluff by realigning the stream channel and by flattening the bluff slope and
anchoring its toe is being conducted at one site along North Fish Creek in Wisconsin. Channel,
flow, and bluff conditions before and after vane installation have been and will be monitored to
evaluate their effects on bluff stability. Selection and installation of vanes at a second site is
planned for this year. If vanes are effective in stabilizing the channel and bluff, they may be
installed at other bluff sites along Lake Superior tributaries. This study is expected to show the
advantages and limitations of vanes for stabilizing banks of flashy, high-energy streams.

References

Clayton, L. (1984). Pleistocene Geology of the Superior Region, Wisconsin. Wisconsin

Geological and Natural History Survey Information Circular 46, 40 p.
Fitzpatrick, F.A. (1998). “Geomorphic and hydrologic responses to vegetation, climate, and base
level changes, North Fish Creek, Wisconsin” Ph.D. thesis, Geography Dept., University
of Wisconsin-Madison at Madison, Wis., 275 p.
Fitzpatrick, F.A., Knox, J.C., and Whitman, H.E. (1999). “Effects of historical land-cover
changes on flooding and sedimentation, North Fish Creek, Wisconsin.” USGS Water
Resources Investigations Report 99-4083, 12 p.
Hoopes, J.A. (1999). "Channel Realignment and Bank Protection in Pheasant Branch Creek,
Middleton, WI", Unpublished Report, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, 15 p.
Krug, W.R., Conger, D.H. and Gebert, W.A. (1992). “Flood-frequency characteristics of
Wisconsin streams.” U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report 91-
4128, 185 p.
Newson, M.D., Hey, R.D., Bathurst, J.C., Brookes, A., Carling, P.A., Petts, G.E., and Sear, D.A.
(1997), “Case studies in the application of geomorphology to river management.,” in
Thorne, C.R., Hey, R.D., and Newson, M.D., eds., Applied Fluvial Geomorphology for
River Engineering and Management, Wiley, New York, p. 330-332.
Odgaard, A. J. and Kennedy, J. F. (1983). “River-bend protection by submerged vanes.” Journal
of Hydraulic Engineering, ASCE, 109(8), 1161-1173.
Odgaard, A.J., and Mosconi, C.E. (1987a). “Streambank protection by submerged vanes.”
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, ASCE, 113(4), 520-536.
Odgaard, A. J. and Wang, Y. (1991a). “Sediment management with submerged vanes. I:
Theory.” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, ASCE, 117(3), 267-283.
Odgaard, A. J. and Wang, Y. (1991b). “Sediment management with submerged vanes. II:
Applications.” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, ASCE, 117(3), 284-302.
Robertson, D.M. (1996). “Use of frequency-volume analyses to estimate regionalized yields and
loads of sediment, phosphorus, and polychlorinated biphenyls to Lakes Michigan and
Superior.” U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4092, 47 p.
Rose, W., and Graczyk, D. (1996). “Sediment transport, particle size, and loads in North Fish
Creek in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, water years 1990-9.” U.S. Geological Survey
Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4222, 18 p.

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 1994

1996

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 2000

2001

Figure 1. Photographs of eroding bluff along North Fish Creek at Bayfield/Ino site, 1994,
1996, 2000 and 2001 (1994 and 1996 photographs taken from Fitzpatrick, Knox and
Whitman, 1998; 2000 and 2001 photograph from conducted vane field study).
8

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 Vane

Channel bed
Flow

Figure 2. Schematic of flow situation showing vane-induced circulation (adapted from

Odgaard and Wang, 1991).

Bluff
Bankfull water level

Low flow water level

Vanes
New bed

Original bed

Figure 3. Schematic showing vane-induced change in channel bed profile.

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 V-8
North
Fish Creek

5000.00 V-7 V-6

V-5
Islands

RP1
Approximate Distance in North Direction, feet

Consolidated
4950.00 VRP6 Clay Shelf

VRP5 RP4

Deep
Point Bar Hole
4900.00

RP3
4850.00 Bluff
V-4
V-1 V-3
V-2
Top of
Bluff
4800.00
(~170 ft to 180 ft)
T4

4900.00 4950.00 5000.00 5050.00 5100.00

Approximate Distance
Contourininterval
EasternisDirection,
1 ft. feet

0 50 100 150 200

Contour Interval is 1 foot (0.305 meter)

Figure 4. Channel cross-sections and contour map for Bayfield/Ino site, North Fish Creek.
Transect lines shown as V-1 through V-8. Black boxes are rebar markers.

10

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 Submerged
Vanes
Rocky Islands
Terrace

Point Bar

Eroding
North
Bluff
Fish
Creek

Gully

Figure 5. Submerged Vane layout summer 2000 at Bayfield/Ino site, North Fish Creek.

11

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 Figure 6. Looking upstream at vane arrays 1 (top of picture, submerged) through 3
(bottom of picture), located upstream of center of bend at Bayfield/Ino site, North Fish
Creek. Lines with flagging were strung across stream at estimated bankfull height for
establishing the height and installing the vanes. Note the steep bluff in the background and
the area of soft sediment from a seep in the bluff.

Table 1. Recommended and actual design parameters for submerged vanes at Bayfield/Ino
site, North Fish Creek.
Recommended Values Actual Values
0.3*average bankfull water
Height 0.2-0.4*bankfull water depth depth at the section
Width 2-3*height 0.9 meters
Lateral Spacing 2-3*height 0.6 to 0.9 meters
Angle to flow 15-40 degrees 20 degrees

Array streamwise spacing 10-30*height approximately 2 meters

Close to bank or on bank if
Vane to bank distance not to exceed 10-40 times height possible

Number of arrays enough to cover entire meander 2 upstream and 9 downstream

approximately 20 vanes placed in 35 vanes and more may be
Number of vanes groups along entire meander added

12

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