Re: OT-other-erosion control

Glenn Simmons wrote:
> 
> We live in zone 6, southwest Missouri.  Does anyone have a recommendation
> for a plant or plants that would work as an effective water erosion control.
> This would be used in a creek bed/bank that is generally fairly dry but on
> occasion can have as much as 4 - 6 feet of water in it.  The creek is about
> 30 feet wide with banks that gently slope inward to banks that are shear.

Glenn - 

I hesitate to offer advice as our climate is so different from yours,
but my husband has overseen several streambank revegetation projects
here in Alaska in his position with Alaska State Parks, and he said much
of their basic information came from the expertise of Robin Sortiere,
who began her career in Georgia.

In Alaska, streambank erosion requires aggressive control, which means
woody plants, which have holding power & strength, not herbaceous
plants. That would require what is called riparian vegetation, ones
which endure wet soil conditions and periodic flooding. Willows, poplars
& cottonwoods are three such here that root readily from cuttings. In
his projects, my husband would select a quick rooting riparian which was
already growing in the general area, which meant it would be best
adapted to conditions at that site. The choice was usually always willow
as they are more suitable for streambanks. Information on which plants
are suitable for revegetation in your area should be available through
your extension service, state parks, or whatever agency deals with such
matters in your area. Whatever plant is chosen needs to be quick
rooting. Of the 32 varieties of willow here, only 4 are are considered
quick-rooting enough for revegetation.

The method involves collecting dormant cuttings of the plant 4' long &
tieing them in 4" bundles, which are placed in snow or a freezer until
planting time. The bundles are laid horizontally along the bank in a
shallow trough, covered with soil, with a stake pounded into the bundle
to anchor it. The covered bundles require less moisture and "coddling"
early on than single upright cuttings or rooted cuttings, which is why
it is the preferred method. There are more particulars concerning this
method, which if you were really interested in, I could send you
off-list. But the main idea behind it is to choose a riparian plant
common to your area, choosing a quick rooting variety, and plant this on
your bank. They will often seed hardy grass LIGHTLY over the planted
bundles, as a temporary stabilizer. 

I suspect this information may be more "institutional" than you need,
but I would be surprised if your Extension Service didn't already have
such localized information available to the public. We get such
information here through the Dept of Natural Resources, and our Plant
Materials Center, in addition to the Extension Service.

Kathy Haggstrom
Anch AK
hagg@alaska.net
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