were filled in with loose synthetic fibers. The soil 

 on the upper slope of the bank was hemmed in 

 with a tight-knit blanket of natural and synthetic 

 fiber. A roll of compressed coconut fibers was laid 

 end-to-end upstream of the rows of A-jacks for 

 added support. Several weeks later, volunteers 

 planted grasses and poked cuttings from willow 

 trees along the bank. When the willows sprout in 

 early spring, the tough, fast-growing trees should 

 establish a deep root system resistant to erosion. 

 The willows will also help slow the flow of water 

 in the stream. 



In some rural farm areas of the Midwest, 

 bioengineers have used large willow poles as the 

 sole source of stabilization. Augered deep into the 

 banks, the willows are often a cost-effective 

 method of erosion control. 



In urban Illinois, bioengineering has become 

 popular because it is more affordable than all-rock 

 structures, says Randy Stowe, a Chicago-area 

 consultant who designed the Rocky Branch 

 demonstration project. Low-quality limestone is 

 the only locally available material. But even 

 though bioengineering is a sound technique, and 

 vegetative buffers are one of the most important 

 aspects of a healthy stream, the concept often 

 requires "creative marketing," he says. 



"Many private landowners have an image 

 coming out of Better Homes and Gardens, of 

 green lawn sweeping down to the water's edge," 

 he says. One selling point is that taller vegetation 

 near the water deters Canada geese, an animal that 

 has reached nuisance numbers in some urban areas, 

 says Stowe. 



The type of vegetation is important. Exotic or invasive 

 species, such as honeysuckle, often take over native plants 

 and tend to have shallow root systems. Native plants work 

 best. Willows, silky dogwood and sycamores are just a few 

 of the woody species that are suited to our climate and land. 



Bioengineering isn't a cure-all and it won't work 

 everywhere. The amount of impervious surface within a 

 watershed or basin will determine how much a stream or 

 waterway can be biologically upgraded. 



"If that watershed is 75 percent impervious asphalt, you 

 can give it up," says George Norris, coordinator of a state- 

 wide stream monitoring and educational program for the 

 N.C. Division of Water Resources. 



But the emphasis on the natural elements of stream 

 repair can do a lot to change perception, influence planning 

 and help to improve water quality in streams. 



A-jacks in foreground; 

 oak staking of coconut fiber logs in background 



"A lot of people want nature to look like an 

 outdoor carpet," says Norris. "If they see a lot of 

 brambles and weeds, they think it doesn't look 

 good, doesn't look landscaped. But if you've got 

 these tulip poplars and little sycamore trees, they 

 may look funky, but they're doing an important 

 job. A lot of it is changing people's perception." 



Rocky Branch may never be a trout stream, 

 but it can be a better stream. And so can a lot of 

 our coastal, rural and urban rivers. 



The N.C. Division of Water Resources under 

 the N.C. Department of Environment, Health 

 and Natural Resources provided partial funding 

 for the N.C. State University project. For informa- 

 tion about funding a stream repair project in your 

 area, call JejfBruton, environmental specialist, 

 at 919/715-0387. □ 



COASTWATCH 19 



