Applied Ecological Services is an environmental restoration company that has been providing sustainable solutions for over 35 years. They specialize in restoring degraded landscapes such as rivers, coastal environments, and watersheds. Their projects aim to restore the natural functions of ecosystems by reestablishing soil carbon levels, water cycles, biodiversity, and improving human relationships with the land. They have completed over 9,000 restoration projects worldwide.

1. Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
Water and Ecosystem Restoration
Sustainable Solutions For More Than 35 Years

2. Historic Landscapes
•DIVERSE
•DYNAMIC
•PRODUCTIVE
•STINGY

3. Rivers
Coastal Environment
Watersheds
Zone of:
•Generation /”reservoir”
• Carbonaceous materials
• Freshwater-surface and recharge
• Suspended solids
• Parent material,
minerals/nutrients
• Thermal buffers-baseflow cooling
• Water supply buffers-
modulator/inertia
• Water quality buffer--
Zone of:
•Mixing (chemistry, water, biology, energy)
•Dilution
•Deposition
•Redistribution, assimilation, and
production
Zone of:
•Bed/suspended solid origin
•Organic matter
breakdown/fractioning
•Mobility for life
•Energetics
Larger Relationships-

4. River
s Coastal
Environment
Zone of:
•Generation /”reservoir”
• Carbonaceous materials
• Freshwater-surface and recharge
• Suspended solids
• Parent material,
minerals/nutrients
• Thermal buffers-baseflow cooling
• Water supply buffers-
modulator/inertia
• Water quality buffer--
Zone of:
•Mixing (chemistry, water, biology, energy)
•Dilution
•Deposition
•Redistribution, assimilation, and
production
Zone of:
•Bed/suspended solid origin
•Organic matter
breakdown/fractioning
•Mobility for life
•Energetics
Watershed and Water Impact
Impervious landscapes, Urban environments,
Compaction, Agricultural, Fertilizers, Climate
change, Vulcanism, Forestry practices,
livestock grazing,Contaminants, Sanitary
sewage, Dredging/Filling, Planting non-native
or invasive plant and animal and disease
species, human design and ingenuity

5. Stream Degradation and
Watershed Development Trends
Historic River in IL
Existing River in IL

6. Nine 100 to 500 yr floods in 15 yrs

7. 0 1 10 50 100 1000
1
0
4
10
100
1000
10000
Des Plaines River Discharge---1899
DISCHARGE(CFS)
FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

8. 10000
1000
100
10
1.0
0.1
.13 99.8799.5999895908070605040302010521.5
Single Point
Watershed Changes Over Time---Des Plaines
River Discharge----1973
780
cfs

9. Des Plaines River
Discharge (CFS) at Riverside, Illinois, 1886-1988
-1000
0
1000
1000
2000
3000
0 70605040302010
-200
0
200
400
600
800
0 70605040302010
HIGH FLOWS
•High flows have doubled
•From 1886-1904, 1.5 high flows/yr
•Presently, 3-5 high flows/yr
MEDIAN FLOWS
•Median flows are 400 times higher
-100
0
100
200
300
400
0 70605040302010
LOW FLOWS
•Low flows are 250 times higher
Annual Hydrographs and Normal Average Water Levels for Restored Wetlands.
Designed by Engineers vs. Ecologists
Spring Fall FallSpring
Avg. Avg.
* Unpredictable Swings in Water Levels
* Creates Biological Instability
* Promotes Habitats for Weeds and Poor Aesthetics
* Promotes Poor Water Quality
* Annual Seasonal High and Low
* Predictable Hydraulics and Seasonal Trajectory
* Promotes Habitat for Stable yet Dynamic Plant Communities
(Diversity of Plants and Animals)
File name: C:DRAWINGS199797-45HYDRLGY
No changes in storm intensity, frequency, or
rainfall distributions!
Soil Carbon collapse (~9% to 1.5%)
Imperviousness (0 to 15%)
Agricultural tiling (0~70%)

10. Prairie Crossing - Plan & Photographs
Ecology, Economy
and Culture

11. STT- FIRST AT PRAIRIE CROSSING
A System of Connected, Restored Open Space--------------- instead of pipes and detention ponds.
Setting New Standards—On Hundreds of projects

12. Creating Great Places ! (Saving $$)
Swimmable/Fishable Water High Clarity and Quality
Unprecedented Results:
•Lake Leopold, refugia for rare fish.
• Restored Prairies, home to rare grassland birds
•Renewed connections between people and place and to each other.

13. Kankakee Sands, Indiana
Junk.shp
Soil/Vegetation Relationship
WATER
EMERGENT
SEDGE
WET MESIC/ SEDGE
MESIC/ WET MESIC
SAVANNA
Management Units
D
B
C
N
O
E F
G H
I
J
K
L
M
Soil/Vegetation Relationship
WATER
EMERGENT
SEDGE
WET MESIC/ SEDGE
MESIC/ WET MESIC
SAVANNA
#Y
#Y#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
%U
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y #Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y #Y
#Y #Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
%U
#Y#Y#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
#Y #Y #Y
#Y
#Y
#Y
D
B
C
N
O
E F
G H
I
J
K
L
M
Drainage System
District Main Ditch
Regional Main
Field Drain
Local Feeder
Drainage System
Abandon
Proposed Control Structures
%U Major Controls
#Y Minor Controls

14. Lower Don Lands Revitalization
Toronto, Ontario
River Mouth and Hydrology
Restoration

15. Freshkills Landfill Restoration
Planning

16. Restore Soil Carbon and Water Cycle Everywhere
16

17. AES’s ~9000 projects worldwide
(Water, soils, biodiversity, human relationships with place, etc)
•Diversity
•Dynamics
•Productivity
•STINGINESS
RESTORING :

18. Applied Ecological Services, Inc.
Thank You!
Sustainable Solutions For More Than 35 Years
steve@appliedeco.com
www.appliedeco.com