Comments for Help De-List Spout Run http://www.spoutrun.org Welcome to the Spout Run Blog Site Mon, 07 May 2012 13:47:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=460 Comment on Image Gallery by Bob Slusser http://www.spoutrun.org/image-gallery/#comment-4 Bob Slusser Mon, 07 May 2012 13:47:21 +0000 http://spoutrun.tdpnetwork.com/?page_id=117#comment-4 Pictures provide a good balance of conditions of the stream. Several show a healthy riparian zone next to the stream while others demonstrate that even with what appears to be plenty of vegetation on the stream bank there can still be bank slumping where the stream bank is undercut and chunks of soil drop into the stream flow. Other images of what appears to be a school field show the grass mowed fairly close to the edge with just a few feet of vegetation along the top of the bank. It would be nice if the school field could have a natural 10 foot buffer strip along the top of the bank. This would help in reducing direct sheet flow to the stream by encouraging infiltration and could also assist in reducing geese from feeding for fear of predators lurking in the buffer area. The image of the riding lawn mower tells a great deal. I understand the desire to have a neat appearance, but from an ecological point of view the stream would benefit from a wider buffer area on both sides of the stream channel. The land apparently does not support herbivores, therefore the landowner is not giving up economic return, but in fact is expending funds in labor, equipment maintenance and fuel. This top of the stream bank area could be populated with colorful native species that would bloom throughout the growing season thereby providing a habitat that could be entertaining to the owner, beneficial to the stream and still an attractive view. Additionally, the bank shows extensive armoring where the owner is trying to protect their property with hard surface material. Where the armoring stops bank erosion becomes active again. A recommendation to consider would be a softer natural bank protection that could absorb the energy of flow of the stream volume during high water events as well as redirecting the flow to the middle of the channel. These natural protections could also tease out soil particles from the stream flow that could help the bank grow back naturally which would benefit aquatic species in the stream. Pictures provide a good balance of conditions of the stream. Several show a healthy riparian zone next to the stream while others demonstrate that even with what appears to be plenty of vegetation on the stream bank there can still be bank slumping where the stream bank is undercut and chunks of soil drop into the stream flow. Other images of what appears to be a school field show the grass mowed fairly close to the edge with just a few feet of vegetation along the top of the bank. It would be nice if the school field could have a natural 10 foot buffer strip along the top of the bank. This would help in reducing direct sheet flow to the stream by encouraging infiltration and could also assist in reducing geese from feeding for fear of predators lurking in the buffer area.

The image of the riding lawn mower tells a great deal. I understand the desire to have a neat appearance, but from an ecological point of view the stream would benefit from a wider buffer area on both sides of the stream channel. The land apparently does not support herbivores, therefore the landowner is not giving up economic return, but in fact is expending funds in labor, equipment maintenance and fuel. This top of the stream bank area could be populated with colorful native species that would bloom throughout the growing season thereby providing a habitat that could be entertaining to the owner, beneficial to the stream and still an attractive view. Additionally, the bank shows extensive armoring where the owner is trying to protect their property with hard surface material. Where the armoring stops bank erosion becomes active again. A recommendation to consider would be a softer natural bank protection that could absorb the energy of flow of the stream volume during high water events as well as redirecting the flow to the middle of the channel. These natural protections could also tease out soil particles from the stream flow that could help the bank grow back naturally which would benefit aquatic species in the stream.

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