Benefits of Healthy Riparian Areas

Benefits of healthy riparian/stream systems:

• High quality habitat for both aquatic and riparian species
• Dissipation of flood energy and reduced downstream flood intensity and frequency
• Higher, longer-lasting and less variable baseflow between storm events
• Deposition of sediment in the floodplain, stabilizing it and maintaining downstream reservoir capacity longer
• Debris and nutrient use and filtering in the floodplain to improve water quality and dissolved oxygen levels in the aquatic system

• Riparian vegetation canopies to shade streams and reduce their temperatures, providing a food base for aquatic and riparian fauna
• Fewer invasions of exotic undesirable riparian species

• Higher biodiversity than terrestrial uplands
• “Stabilized” banks, which reduce erosion and protect ownership boundaries
• Increased economic value through wildlife, livestock, timber, and recreational enterprises

• Improved rural land aesthetics and real estate values