What to Avoid

1) Mowing/removing riparian vegetation

Grass alone provides little streambank protection, and does not provide any habitat or much overland stormwater filtration

Grass roots don't do a good job of holding stream banks together

2) Rip-rap

Referred to as “rip-rap,” rocks and concrete not only transfer the destructive energy of fast-moving water to another location, but also eventually get undermined, and are only a short term solution.

3) Cows/livestock in the creek

Besides loading the stream with fecal material, hooves destroy stream banks and in-stream habitat

Cattle-in-Stream

4) Dredging the creek with a backhoe

“Straightening” or “ditching” streams increases sediment in the stream and destroys habitat for fish, salamanders, and stream insects.

Smal_creek_ditched_&_veg_removed

5) Planting exotics (e.g. English ivy) or plants that aren’t appropriate for the site (e.g. marigolds).

Exotics include:

privet, mimosa, honeysuckle, chinese wisteria, princess tree, multiflora rose