Streamside Areas

Landowners with streams or other waterways may face resource problems such as stream bank erosion or invasive species in the riparian area.  We can help you effectively manage riparian area related resource issues.  Check out the practices we can help you implement in your riparian area.  Go to the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program page or contact Jenne Reische for more information on riparian restoration and improvement.

Channel Bank Vegetation

Establishing and maintaining vegetative cover on channel banks, berms, spoil, and associated areas.

The purpose of this practice is to:

• Stabilize channel banks and adjacent areas and reduce erosion and sedimentation
• Maintain or enhance the quality of the environment, including visual aspects and fish and wildlife habitat

Riparian Forest Buffer

Area predominantly managed as trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

The purpose of installing a riparian forest buffer is to:

• Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms
• Create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris
• Reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow
• Reduce pesticide drift entering the water body
• Restore riparian plant communities
• Increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils

Riparian Herbaceous Cover

Establishing grasses, grass-like plants and forbs that are tolerant of intermittent flooding or saturated soils in the transitional zone between terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

Riparian herbaceous covers provide the following functions:

• Provision of food, shelter, shading substrate, access to adjacent habitats, nursery habitat and pathways for movement by resident and nonresident aquatic, semi-aquatic and terrestrial organisms
• Improve and protect water quality by reducing the amount of sediment and other pollutants, such as pesticides, organic materials, and nutrients in surface runoff as well as nutrients and chemicals in shallow ground water flow
• Help stabilize stream bank and shorelines
• Increase net carbon storage in the biomass and soil

Stream Crossing

Stabilized area or structure constructed across a waterway to provide a travel way for people, livestock, equipment, or vehicles.

You may interested in installing a stream crossing to:

• Improve water quality by reducing sediment, nutrient, organic, and inorganic loading of the stream
• Reduce streambank and streambed erosion
• Provide crossing for access to another land unit

Stream Habitat Improvement and Management

Maintaining, improving, or restoring physical, chemical and biological functions of a stream to:

• Provide suitable habitat for desired aquatic species and diverse aquatic communities
• Provide channel morphology and associated riparian characteristics important to desired aquatic species
• Provide aesthetic values and recreation opportunities associated with stream habitats such as angling and fish viewing

Streambank and Shoreline Protection

Structures and/or vegetation to stabilize and protect banks of streams, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, or excavated channels against scour and erosion.  This practice is also employed to influence scour and deposition patterns, working with stream power in order to influence stream grade.

This practice is used to stabilize or protect banks of streams, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, or excavated channels for one or more of the following purposes:

• To prevent the loss of land or damage to land uses, utilities, roads, buildings, or other facilities adjacent to the banks, including the protection of known historic, archaeological, and traditional cultural properties
• To maintain the capacity of the water body or to reduce the offsite or downstream effects of sediment resulting from bank erosion
• To control channel meander that would adversely affect downstream facilities
• To reduce sediment loads causing downstream damage and/or pollution
• To increase bank roughness in order to improve stream geometry and bedload transport characteristics
• To improve or enhance the stream and riparian corridor for fish and wildlife habitat, aesthetics, and recreation

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