The Cranes Nest project is a mitigation project providing restoration and enhancement of approximately 2,275 linear feet of stream and 105 feet of tributaries in Knox County, Kentucky.  Cranes Nest Branch is a small tributary in the Richland Creek watershed in the Upper Cumberland River basin, which is designated as a conservation area for fish and lamprey species. Historical stream impacts include mining, deforestation, channelization, agriculture, channel relocation, and riparian zone removal. The pre-existing channel was entrenched and extremely sinuous, having formed in a gully controlled by tree growth and soil inclusions, throughout the majority of the project area. The sharp bends were severely eroding. This project entails the restoration (Priority I and Priority II) and enhancement of Cranes Nest Branch in order to improve aquatic habitats, primarily for macroinvertebrates, reduce streambank erosion and stabilize the channel bed. Priority I restoration involves the placement of a new channel at a higher elevation than the existing bed in order to connect to an existing floodplain; Priority II restoration involves excavating a new channel and floodplain at the existing channel grade. Due to the willingness of the landowners, a restored channel was constructed throughout the majority of the project area.