EQR partnered with the Virginia Department of Transportation to restore a degraded stream system and surrounding riparian landscape in Waynesboro, Virginia. Designed by Stantec and coordinated by GreenVest, this stream restoration project was a large-scale ecological restoration effort focused on improving water quality, restoring natural stream function, enhancing habitat, and creating a more resilient riverscape.

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Located within the City of Waynesboro near the South River, the project encompasses several unnamed tributaries and approximately 6,579 linear feet of stream channel. The project area consists primarily of former and active cattle pasture, with broad floodplains, scattered mature trees, regenerating vegetation, wetlands, and upland forested areas. EQR restored approximately 5,192 linear feet of degraded stream by re-establishing floodplain connectivity and reconfiguring the channel to better reflect the site’s natural geologic and geomorphic conditions. By reconnecting the stream with its floodplain, the project allows high flows to spread across the surrounding landscape, reducing the erosive forces concentrated within the channel and promoting long-term stability. Streambanks were reshaped and stabilized, near-stream vegetation was re-established, and natural materials such as wood and brush were incorporated to reinforce vulnerable areas.

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Beyond the stream channel, the project included the restoration of 12.7 acres of riparian buffer. Former mixed open pasture was converted to a forested landscape through invasive species management and the establishment of native vegetative communities. Livestock were excluded from restored stream, riparian buffer, and wetland areas to protect the investment and support long-term ecological recovery.