Riparian Buffer Restoration
Riparian buffers are vegetated areas adjacent to an inland waterbody that are managed to protect the waterbody from the impacts of surrounding land uses (USFS n.d.). Riparian buffers can consist of a combination of trees, shrubs, and grasses that extend parallel to the banks of the waterbody. Spanning residential, agricultural, industrial, and natural land uses, riparian buffers prevent excess nutrients, sediments, and pollutants from entering the waterbody (Luo et al. 2017). Riparian buffers, generally located on steep slopes, are often installed because of their effectiveness at mitigating erosion compared to stone or concrete banks (Kenwick et al. 2009). Riparian buffers are under threat from invasive species, channelization, overgrazing, conversion to agricultural or urban land uses, and increased wildfire severity (Theobald et al. 2010). Restoring riparian buffers involves regrading stream banks, removing invasive species, installing grade control structures, reconfiguring channels and replanting native species (Laub et al. 2013).
Case Studies
Ah Pah Creek Watershed Restoration
Anacostia Riparian Meadow Restoration
Bird Track Springs Habitat Restoration on the Upper Grande Ronde River
Bloomington, Indiana Naturalizes Creek Bank to Manage Stormwater and Establish Native Plants
Carmel River Restoration Project
Collaborative Restoration Partnerships in the Colorado River Basin
Community Driven Water Management: The Tomorrow's Water Model for Playa Restoration
Community Groups Work With Notre Dame Researchers to Restore a Creek Running Through New Golf Course
Cuenca los Ojos: Three Decades of Restoring Water Flows on Private Land in the U.S. and Mexico
Dolores River Restoration Partnership: A Public-Private Collaborative for Riparian Restoration
Duwamish River Estuary Intertidal Wetlands Restoration
Fossil Creek Watershed and Riparian Restoration
From Gray to Green: Replacing a Bulkhead with a Living Shoreline at a High-Energy Riverine Site
Gila Watershed Partnership: Restoration to Mitigate Tamarisk Beetle Impacts
Green or Gray? Choosing to Preserve Water Quality
Helping Pollinators Adapt to Climate Change
Horner Park Restoration Project
Irrigation of Riparian Habitat Restoration Along the Rio Grande Canalization Project
Johnson Creek Restoration, Portland, Oregon
Lower Boulder Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project
Lower Red River Meadow Restoration Project
Maumee River Riparian Zone Restoration, Allen County
North Simpson Habitat Restoration Project
Otter Creek Floodplain, Middlebury, Vermont
Pecos National Historical Park Glorieta Creek Wetland-Riparian Restoration
Post-Fire Watershed Restoration and Monitoring in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona
Public-Private Partnerships for Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Habitat Restoration
Rebuilding Roads to Maximize Resilience
Reintroducing Beavers to Facilitate Riparian Restoration on the Zuni Reservation
Restoration of Riparian Trees and Shrubs on the Rio Grande Canalization Project
Reversing Erosion on Semi-Arid Grassland Ranches: A 10-Year Analysis
Riparian Restoration Experiment for Native Species Conservation in Vermont
Riparian Woodland and Grassland Restoration to Increase Resilience to Drought
Robbins Stormwater Park and Midlothian Creek Restoration Project
Smart Growth Along the Riverfront Helps Manage Stormwater in Iowa City, Iowa
Springhouse Run Stream Restoration
The Wild Mile Urban River Restoration
Tulalip Tribes: Saving Their Sacred Salmon
Water Transactions to Support Riparian Ecosystems in the Isleta Reach of the Rio Grande
Tools
A Field Guide to Riparian Restoration, and Upland and Arroyo Erosion
California Riparian Habitat Restoration Handbook
Chesapeake Bay Riparian Handbook: A Guide for Establishing and Maintaining Riparian Forest Buffers
Guidelines and Protocols for Monitoring Riparian Forest Restoration Porjects
Promoting Nature-Based Hazard Mitigation Through FEMA Mitigation Grants
Likely Benefits and Outcomes
This strategy is likely to achieve these project goals. Click to search for strategies with a similar benefit.
Related Green (natured-based) vs. Gray infrastructure
In development.