0423-1201-SDTDC: Riparian Restoration, Page 16

Riparian Restoration

CHAPTER 4: RESTORATION PREPERATION (CONTINUED)

Project Design (Continued)

Determine whether the channel is stable. If it is not, determine whether it is incising or aggrading. (See appendix H for sources on channel stability.) If it is incising, the water table may be lowered, perhaps beyond the reach of most riparian plant roots. See figure 58.

Photo of an incised water channel through a grassy forest meadow.
Figure 58—Incised channel.

Design functional elements of the riparian ecosystem, including reconnecting the site to its hydrologic regime, restoring the natural topography, and planting site-specific vegetation. See figures 59 and 60.

Photo of a boardwalk that cuts through a densely vegetated riparian ecosystem.
Figure 59—This boardwalk winds over and through a riparian ecosystem, allowing
visitors to experience and yet not disturb its structure and function.

Photo showing the side view of a boardwalk with dense plant vegetation growing underneath it.
Figure 60—A side view of the boardwalk shows plant growth under the boardwalk.

Understand the consequences of actions such as cutting and filling; removing vegetation; and placing and constructing facilities, roads, and trails. For instance, because of pollution potential, do not drain parking lots directly into water bodies. See figure 61.

Drawing that illustrates a mountain watershed. The drawing also shows two detailed sub-diagrams. One diagram shows an upstream campsite where pollution of a stream is taking place by the site's occupants. The other sub-diagram shows a woman drinking a glass of water in a city downstream from the campsite.
Figure 61—Actions upstream affect water quality downstream.

Understand which activities can be supported in the area and how they mesh with sustaining natural riparian processes. (See appendix A.) Plan for the separation of conflicting types of recreation. Design according to what visitors want to do, while protecting the resources. “For example, … visitors want access to the river but this is inappropriate due to channel location (outside meander bend) so fencing and signs are installed to focus access to more appropriate sites both up and downstream” (Fritzke 2001).