• Undisturbed gravel bars separating scraped sites in active flood- 

 plains from active channels, and 



• Incised banks and associated riparian zones separating scraped and 

 pit sites located in inactive floodplains and terraces from active 

 f I oodp I a i ns. 



The level of understanding that was obtained regarding the effective- 

 ness of these buffers does not allow conclusions to be drawn. Accurate data 

 describing original buffer characteristics (such as width, height, veget- 

 ative structure, and soil composition) were not available for many sites, 

 however, several trends were observed. 



At sma I ler rivers of sinuous and meandering configuration, buffers 



(primarily incised banks and associated riparian zones) of widths in the 



range of 10 to 15 m were effective in containing active channels at sites 

 that were 5 to 16 years old (Figure 81). 



Figure 81. Undisturbed buffer along the original stream 

 channel at Aufeis Creek (downstream disturbed area only) 



264 



