Riparian buffer restoration and monitoring

Riparian buffer restoration and monitoring

One of the biggest influences on the health of a stream, river or lake is the vegetation on its banks. The strip of vegetation along a waterbody is called a riparian (meaning riverside) buffer. Buffers play numerous important roles for the river, wildlife and human communities. A healthy streamside buffer stabilizes banks, which minimizes erosion (and property loss) and sedimentation in the river. While these are natural processes, too much sedi…