Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 04/18/2016

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6 • Bank Reshaping — Reshaping a severely eroding riverbank may be necessary in order to stabilize vertical, bare banks. This approach must be coupled with other stabilization techniques because in and of itself it does not provide any stabilization benefits. It only creates a bank with suitable slopes for other stabilization approaches. Favorable Practices for Riverbank Property Owners Managing a riverbank can present a difficult challenge for property owners. Often times, a misunderstanding of factors that contribute to erosion can actually exacerbate the issue. Below is a list of practices that should be followed by property owners adjacent to rivers in order to minimize erosion and protect their property. • Avoid mowing near the edge of the bluff or riverbank. Turf grasses have very shallow root systems, providing little soil stability. Deeper rooted species are also better at filtering out excess nutrients and sediments in runoff. • Control runoff from downspouts and other hard surfaces at the top of the slope to prevent it from flowing over the riverbank. Promote infiltration of rain water into the soil but away from the riverbank where possible, or provide a pipe conduit down to the water's edge to transport water if necessary. • Dispose of yard waste properly to avoid smothering riverbank vegetation and contributing nutrients to the river, which commonly occurs when leaves and grass clippings are thrown over the riverbank. • Plant desirable species with preference for multi -stemmed plants with deep, dense, fibrous root systems. However, ensure the species are well suited to the soil type, moisture level, and available sunlight or they will not thrive. • Prune lower branches on trees to increase the amount of light that penetrates to the ground. This will increase plant growth at ground level where the stems, roots, and foliage will help keep soil in place. • Remove buckthorn, which is an invasive plant that is believed to release a natural herbicide that suppresses nearby plant growth. • Remove fallen trees because they can redirect water toward the bank and exacerbate erosive river forces. • Remove grapevines, which smother trees, shade out understory species, and provide little soil stabilization benefits.