 Nashville draws new residents each year; some come for the music community and some are drawn by the promise of access to nature and family-friendly green space. The Cumberland River contributes to the allure of relocation; it’s tributaries crisscrossing the land creating pockets of lush environments ripe for imagination and adventure. Nashville is located in the Cumberland River Basin which encompasses three watersheds which add economic value and quality of life benefits to our community. While these streams add beauty, they can also be a source of stress for homeowners when it comes to flooding and creek bank erosion, which can cause damage to private property. Preserving a peaceful coexistence with the natural elements requires an informed approach to maintaining and caring for stream banks to prevent flooding and erosion. There are many reasons to step away from the lawn mower and instead foster robust, plant rich, and aesthetically pleasing areas along stream banks. The riparian zone is a vegetative area between the stream and the rest of your yard. Plants along stream banks are a component of the riparian zone. This area is an integral part of stream health for several reasons including reduced flooding and erosion and improved water quality. It also provides critical habitat and food sources for local insect, bird, and wildlife populations. Many homeowners mow up to the stream bank edge to keep it clean and neat, removing vegetation whose roots help prevent erosion. According to the TN Department of Environment and Conservation, the most effective method of stabilizing stream banks is the installation of deep-rooted native trees and shrubs. A healthy riparian zone means allowing things to get wild, with good reason. These plants reduce flooding and erosion along stream banks by absorbing water through their root systems. A study in the Urban Forestry and Urban Greening Journal examined tree roots in urban soil and found that the trees’ roots increased the soil's ability to infiltrate water at a rate of 53-330%. Absorption through plant roots also improves water quality by intercepting and retaining pollutants from the water into the roots. Homeowners' decisions on their properties impact the broader Cumberland River watershed. Pollution, sediment, and mud from erosion that enters streams can make its way into the Cumberland River watershed system and can harm wildlife and compromise our drinking water sources. The TVA published a list of trees and shrubs ideal for stream bank beauty and stabilization, and the graphic below illustrates the different vegetative zones appropriate for a stream bank.
Green Interchange is a Nashville-based non-profit organization that works every fall with the Cumberland River Compact and Root Nashville to provide and install free trees for homeowners in Davidson County. This program allows us to assist homeowners in better understanding how to create, restore, and maintain riparian zones on their properties to protect against loss or damage to land and property. Sign up to receive updates when trees become available: https://www.greeninterchange.org/ To learn more about stream bank restoration check out these resources: TN Urban Riparian Buffer Handbook https://knoxcounty.org/stormwater/pdfs/strong_streams/UrbanRiparianBufferHandbook.pdf UT Creekbank Protection and Repair Resources https://tnyards.utk.edu/creekbank-protection-and-repair-resources/  Comments are closed.
|
Categories
All
Archives
December 2024
|
RSS Feed
