Riparian East, Part 1

Concept

This project is seeking to enhance a section of an occasional itermitant stream ranging from 5-6 feet to two feet wide, from 6" deep to dry in late summer some years, and extending some 200 meters east-west where it joins the Riparian North/South streams and extening upstream to the east edge of the House Yard. Half of the stream is near the ChicoryLane barn and a nearby utility area downstream whereas the other, upstream half is adjacen to the House yard, with a naturalizied border of some 20 feet on the House side and a natural steep bank and hillside on the other. Thus, this entire segment is adjacent to the most developed areas of ChicoryLane. The area of concern extends some 50 feet on each side of the stream, varying according to the topography and improvements. The stream is the primary natural feature of the area along with several Aspen groves, numeerous Elderberry shrubs, large stands of Blue Vervain and Dark Red native Bergamot, and a (troubling) stand of Reed Canary Grass. This stream also shares the largest and oldest Crack Willow with the North Riparian stream. The main focus of the project is enhancement through increasing seleced species, reducing less desirable or invasive ones, and introduce several complementary new species not ccurrently found in that area.

Steps

• Select a site
  • The section of screen noted above
• Record it
  • Images
• Identify Features of Interest
  • Palette of speies
• Map the site
  • inventory and map vegetation in designated sites of a 50-ft riparian area on each streambank
• Consider changes
• Plan changes
  • Stream
    • Rest the water for dissolved solids before the cattle crossing is built and during its u
    • Inventory wildlife (fish, birds, insects) in or using the stream
  • Riparian
    • Replace invasive non-native plants with natives and to control regrowth by cutting and, possibly, herbicide use
      • Species reductions
        • xxx
      • Species additions
        • xxx
• Implement
• Assess