174 



STREAM RESTORATION AND FLOOD DAMAGE 

 REDUCTION MEASURES ELIGIBLE FOR STREAM 

 RESTORATION GRANTS 



The Stream Restoration Program 

 can support the following and related 

 restoration techniques. This is not 

 meant to be a complete listing of 

 restoration or flood damage reduction 

 techniques. A list of sources which 

 provide information on a wide range 

 of measures is provided at the end of 

 this pamphlet. The Department is also 

 interested in supporting reasonable 

 experiments and innovations. 



■ GREENBELT FLOODWAYS, BY- 

 PASSES. RETENTION BASINS. 

 FLOOD-PROOFING, RELOCA- 

 TION OF STRl'CTCRES. AND 

 1 AND ISE PLANNING 



Property damages can efficiently be 

 avoided bv allowing flood flows to oc- 

 cur in natural floodplains or 

 greenbelts, by-passes and retention 

 basins specifically set aside to hold 

 flood flows. Lands reserved to accom- 

 modate the natural phenomenon of 

 stream meandering and overbank 

 flows can also serve as parks, recrea- 

 tion areas, wildlife refuges and 

 preserves, jogging, bicycle and hiking 

 trails, and educational areas. In this 

 case the strategy is to avoid the loca- 

 tion of structures or incompatible land 

 uses in the areas of potential hazards. 

 Flood-proofing serves to modify struc- 

 tures in a flood hazard area, and can 

 include the redesign of buildings, and 

 elevating structures to provide protec- 

 tion against flood damages. 

 Sometimes relocation of a structure is 

 a better solution in the long run than 

 attempting to modify the stream. 



Streams naturally overflow their 

 banks on a frequent basis. The terraces 

 and floodplains adjacent to a stream's 

 flow channel are as much as part of 

 the stream as the channel itself, yet 



there is a history of planners and 

 builders developing these areas 

 nonetheless. It is development within 

 this zone which, not surprisingly, is 

 subject to damages from bank erosion 

 caused by the changing dynamics and 

 meanders of a stream and from over- 

 bank flows. The most desirable solu- 

 tion to reducing damages from floods 

 and bank erosion is to place structures 

 which can be harmed by the natural 

 forces of streams out of the path of the 

 potential hazard. 



Land use regulations enacted to 

 protect the health and safety of the 

 public from overbank flows, bank 

 erosion, and landslides have a long 

 history o( legal acceptance and 

 provide numerous public benefits at 

 the least cost. Regulations which 

 include the objectives to control 

 erosion, protect riparian \egetation 

 and control run-off from new 

 development are also gaining in use 

 and addiess multiple objectives to 

 reduce floods, improve watei quality, 

 and conserve wildlife habitat, and 

 instream biological values, including 

 fisheries. The Urban Stream 

 Restoration Program both provides 

 assistance in the drafting of local 

 regulator) ordinances and its grants 

 program can provide funds for the 

 design and acquisition of flood 

 easements, greenbelts. floodwavs, 

 retention basins, and by-passes, flood- 

 proofing and relocation of structures. 



