Protecting Our Streams with Plants
Our streams provide us with drinking water, recreational opportunities, and a
bountiful array of fish to enjoy. If we are to continue to enjoy these gifts of
nature, we must protect our streambanks from erosion and degradation. The
technology of soil bioengineering, the use of woody plants to protect our
streambanks, lakes, and river edges has been known for centuries, and has
recently gained popularity. Bioengineering combines engineering principles with
Living plants protect soil along our shores from erosion caused by rain, ice,
wind, and quickly flowing water. Vegetation binds and restrains soil particles
through root systems and protects against the mass movement of soil.
The use of plants is preferable to structural engineering methods of erosion
control for several reasons:
- soil bioengineering is often less costly
- plantings can be more aesthetic than bare concrete and rock
- plants provide wildlife cover and habitat
- plants trap sediment and other pollutants and provide nutrients to streams
- plants shade streams and keep the water cool for fish.
A landowner with an eroding streambank may seek to resolve this problem
through the use of soil bioengineering techniques. With assistance from the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or the local Soil Conservation
District, the landowner might choose to place woody plant cuttings at the water
As vegetation is established, the shoreline becomes more resistant to the
forces of fast moving water. Often a combination of soil bioengineering practices and
rip rap (stone armor protector) or other structural engineering techniques must
be used. Under certain conditions, soil bioengineering techniques cannot be used and
structural methods must be employed.
To inquire about the use of soil bioengineering along your stream,
contact your USDA Service Center.