Streambank Repair

WaterWays is committed to restoring our waterways! 

Streambank repair and riparian zone restoration are crucial for improving water quality, reducing flood impact, mitigating erosion, and rehabilitating native habitat. Our streambank repair workshops are designed to provide homeowners and professionals with DIY, cost-effective, and natural methods to repair eroded streambanks. We work with local municipalities, UT Extension, and local conservation groups to complete these mostly grant-funded projects every winter. 

Why winter? Well, we use cuttings and bareroots of native riparian plants that can only be harvested when these shrubs and trees are dormant! Planting these stakes and bareroots in winter also allows roots to establish before the growing season begins, which lessens water maintenance and plant stress. 

Implementing these changes on our streambanks allows for natural habitat regeneration, both aquatic and terrestrial. Terrestrially, these techniques widen the “ buffer zone” on the sides of the stream with native plant species, creating habitat and dense root structures for erosion control. Aquatically, these streambank repair methods restore the natural hydrology of streams by reinstituting riffle and pool habitat, root structures in the water, and more.