The 2013 Front Range Floods were highly detrimental to Colorado, impacting human life, infrastructure, and water quality. Furthermore, the flood caused historic levels of damage to stream channels, floodplains, and riparian areas. The purpose of this manual is to provide restoration practitioners and regulators who work in Colorado with guidelines for planning, design, and construction of stream bank protection. In particular, it prioritizes the application of stream bank bioengineering treatments tailored for the climatic, biological, hydrologic, and morphological conditions specific to Colorado's unique watersheds. The streambank bioengineering treatments presented in this manual were developed by their original authors to withstand specific hydraulic conditions of a site while utilizing site-adapted vegetation. Colorado's unique hydraulic and ecological conditions require a localized approach to streambank bioengineering to enhance successful implementation of treatments. Success of streambank bioengineering treatments is further guided throughout this manual via design and construction strategies specific to Colorado.
