Upper South Branch Buffalo River Restoration: Phase II
Comstock Construction partnered with the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District on a large-scale river restoration project in Wilkin County, Minnesota. The project restored approximately 9 miles of stream channel along the Upper South Branch of the Buffalo River, helping improve drainage, reduce erosion, and protect surrounding farmland.
Why the River Needed Restoration
The South Branch Buffalo River had experienced drainage and erosion problems for decades. In the early 1900s, drainage ditches were constructed that redirected water away from portions of the river’s natural path.
Over time, heavy flooding caused water to overflow these drainage systems, washing away valuable topsoil and creating large erosion channels across agricultural land. The eroded soil then washed into the river, reducing water quality, damaging aquatic habitats, and making it harder for the river to handle future flooding.
The Buffalo-Red River Watershed District developed the restoration project to address these issues and create a more stable, natural waterway.
Extensive Earthwork and Stream Channel Restoration
Comstock Construction completed phase II of the project’s civil construction work. The work involved extensive excavation, earthmoving, and grading to reshape the river channel and improve how water flows through the surrounding landscape.
Our scope of work included:
- Channel excavation and grading: Reshaping and restoring stream channels to create a more stable waterway.
- Earthmoving and site restoration: Moving and grading soil to establish the restored channel and surrounding landscape.
- Floodplain reconnection: Helping redirect water back toward its natural flow path and reconnect portions of the drainage system to the river’s floodplain.
- Erosion and sediment control: Supporting improvements designed to stabilize waterways and reduce soil washing into the river.
- Drainage improvements: Improving natural water flow while maintaining drainage benefits for nearby agricultural land.
The overall project also incorporated expanded vegetative buffers and sediment-control measures to help protect the restored waterways over the long term.
Long-Term Benefits for the River and Surrounding Communities
The completed restoration helped address several challenges for both the environment and local landowners.
By restoring the river’s natural flow and stabilizing its channels, the project reduced the risk of erosion and sediment buildup. Improved drainage and floodplain connections also helped the river better manage high water flows, protecting nearby agricultural land and infrastructure.
These improvements support cleaner water, healthier aquatic habitats, and a more sustainable river system.
Through extensive civil construction and earthwork, Comstock Construction helped bring the Upper South Branch Buffalo River closer to its natural condition, creating lasting benefits for the watershed and the communities that depend on it.
See more of our Civil Projects capabilities here.