Stream Restoration and Repair
Does
a stream in your backyard or neighborhood look like this?
Streambank erosion is a problem that's rapidly growing in Western North Carolina as population grows in our beautiful mountains. Roads, parking lots, roofs and other impervious (non-absorbing) surfaces shed stormwater into nearby streams, and the rushing water carves soil away from vulnerable streambanks.
If it's not correctly treated, streambank erosion can take away much of your yard, and even threaten the stability of your house. Stop-gap solutions such as lining the bank with concrete or plastic aren't just ugly -- they cause even more damage to the stream.
Environmental
researchers at N.C. State University have developed sustainable,
locally adapted stream-repair solutions
that use natural channel design to stop erosion and return
streambanks to a
healthy, attractive state.
"Stream Dr."
Steve Ambrose is a graduate of NCSU's
stream-restoration training course and is one of
a
handful of professional landscapers who have achieved certification as
a North Carolina Stream Doctor. Only a listed
N.C. Stream Dr. should be hired to repair your
eroding stream.
Cost-share
assistance is available to homeowners who hire a
Stream
Dr., through the state's Community Conservation Assistance Program
(CCAP).
See how
Ambrose Landscapes turned the stream at left
into the stream at right. 
| "While we do not recommend any
particular business,"
notes the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, "if you are hiring a professional, we encourage you to interview prospective serviceproviders carefully to learn about their background and experience in doing the kind of work you have in mind, and to check references. If you need assistance with stream work, be sure to specify that you want a professional who will utilize natural channel design to the greatest extent possible." |
Explore NCSU's Mud
Creek Restoration Project, a demonstration
stream-repair project in an important Henderson County watershed in
which Steve
participated.
Find out more about stream restoration and natural channel design.