For the third consecutive year, WaterWays has hosted a Streambank Repair Workshop at the base of Signal Mountain and Waldens Ridge Park along Reads Creek. This event has become a highly anticipated gathering for community members, engineering professionals, and families eager to learn about sustainable practices for protecting natural waterways. Participants receive guidance from experts in stream ecology and conservation, who offer hands-on experience in restoring and stabilizing streambanks using native plants and eco-friendly materials.
The workshop kicked off with a tour of Reads Creek Projects, showcasing extensive invasive species removal and repairs to previously eroding streambanks. Following this, former University of Tennessee Knoxville Professor Dr. Don McKenzie led a discussion on invasive plant removal and guided participants in the best practices for removing invasive shrubs.
Meanwhile, other participants assisted in installing a coir log made from coconut fiber at the base of a significant bend to reinforce a collapsing bank. This area faces immense pressure from floodwaters and stormwater runoff, leading to erosion and incision of the bank. The coir log was secured with large wooden stakes and live stakes (cuttings from native trees and shrubs). It was then covered with coir netting that extended to the top of the streambank. Light shoveling was performed to reduce the steepness of the streambank’s edge and enhance floodplain connectivity. Additional live stakes were planted to eventually root and bolster the streambank with a robust root system, providing a buffer against pollutants carried into the stream by stormwater runoff.
It was heartening to observe that the efforts from previous years are thriving and effectively reducing downstream erosion. Sedimentation is the leading global pollutant, as it gets stirred up during rainstorms, creating a harmful underwater storm for aquatic life. In severe cases, sedimentation can drastically diminish aquatic biodiversity, triggering a cascade effect within that ecosystem and those downstream.
These natural streambank repair techniques are low-cost yet yield high results. While some streams may need more intensive intervention, these methods prove effective, and the best part is that anyone can implement them! No permit is required for this application. Homeowners are encouraged to attend these workshops and replicate the efforts on their streamside properties. Sharing knowledge and resources is a core mission of WaterWays. Together, we can all contribute to the protection of our precious waterways and the incredible biodiversity they support.
