Streams & Shorelines
As Lorain County’s population expands, our landscape’s capacity to absorb rainfall is increasingly pushed to — and beyond — its limit. As trees are cut to make way for development, and hard surfaces such as concrete cover more and more ground area, the amount of stormwater that runs into streams and rivers is growing. And that runoff carries with it debris, sediment, pollutants and heat, all of which affect the ecology of local waterways.
Crumbling Banks
Even a moderate amount of rain can quickly discharge a large volume of water into streams and creeks. One inch of rain falling on a 1-acre parking lot, for example, can drain 27,000 gallons of water into waterways. When that much water roars through, stream beds can shift course and can also become more deeply incised into the surface of the surrounding land. Fast-moving water doesn’t allow much sediment to be deposited and, without replenishment, the stream bank may begin to erode.
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Area streams also face another threat: People like to look at them. In order to clear the view, property owners often mow right up to the edge of the stream bank. Though understandable, this practice also contributes to erosion, since relatively shallow-rooted turf grass washes away more readily than a mix of plantings.
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Erosion degrades wildlife habitat by adding sediment to the water and by altering the physical shape of the stream. Erosion also results in the loss of riparian, or river bank-related, land, which is itself a rich and unique habitat for wildlife and plant species. Shifting creek banks can also damage bridges, fences and roads, not to mention houses and other buildings.
First steps
So what is a responsible steward to do? The answer is not always simple. There are a few things landowners need to know when considering a stream bank repair.
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The first step is to figure out whether your property and stream lie within the area designated as the 100-year floodplain. A fact sheet from the U.S. Geological Survey explains, “The term ‘100-year flood’ is really a statistical designation, and there is a 1-in-100 chance that a flood [of a particular] size will happen during any year.” Thus, the 100-year floodplain is the area that will be inundated when a flood of that magnitude occurs.
Lorain County Auditor has a flood zone map available for the public to view. Lorain County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Anyone seeking permission to commence any ground disturbing activities in a 100-year Flood Zone, must apply for a permit through the Lorain County Community Development Department. You can learn more here. You can also download the brochure below, created by Lorain County Community Development.
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If the property falls within the 100-year floodplain, you will need to obtain permits. Contact Lorain County Community Development at (440) 328-2322 to discuss what will be needed. If it does not, you may be able to do some repairs and maintenance without permits.
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Next, examine the stream in detail. Every situation is different. You have to know what the stream is trying to do. Some things to note include the size and direction of the flow; the stream’s depth and width; how steep the stream bank is; and what sort of plants grow there, including what kinds of root systems are in place.
Erosion-control alternatives
Remediating streambank erosion is accomplished by stabilizing the soil. Plants are the best way to hold streambanks together. Larger erosion issues may require grading the land to decrease the slope of the streambank. a stream’s natural defense against bank erosion is vegetation. While above-ground stems and foliage do offer protection by slowing the flow of the surface water,it is the roots that provide the most stability. Plant roots can do a good job of holding soil, but their effectiveness relates to their depth. For example, we may think turf grass will prevent erosion, but its roots might only be 4 to 6 inches deep. More stability comes from more deeply rooted trees and shrubs (Figure 1). When stream banks lack this reinforcement, unanchored soil can continue to erode until the channel reaches a bed material that can withstand the erosive flows—usually bedrock. It could take a few storms or a few years to see significant impact, but the damage is inevitable.