Soil erosion is a natural process, but changes in land use during recent history has made sediment one of the largest water pollutants. It’s hard for me to expect all water in natural environments to be crystal clear. But, it is clear that water is a precious resource which deserves our thought and attention.
In much of America’s West, talk of water can be the talk of the town. Where I live in Northern California, issues tend to transcend water conservation and move into the complexity of water quality and its regulations. Enforcement of these regulations creates jobs for many people while at the same time causing difficulties for others trying to operate within the law.
Water quality has grown into a regional issue involving multiple stakeholder groups, including fisherman. Last year, the salmon harvest was shutdown due to a collapse in fish stocks. The key to this complexity is a two-way street. It is simple to understand the fact that all water flows to the ocean. But, it is far more complex to grasp the fact that salmon migrate from the ocean, up rivers and streams to lay their eggs. And many times they may be met by an eroding streambank.
Spawning salmon find themselves in streams between farm and forest lands. In my conversations with landowners it is always encouraging to find out that they want to do the right thing; such as securing their streambank. Unfortunately, the costs of permitting a project often are cost prohibitive. As a result, public assistance is needed and can be extremely time consuming and still very expensive.
What can be done to help landowners secure their streambanks in order to help revive salmon populations? In my travels, I came across a technique used in Asia to reduce soil erosion after landslides. The technique integrates the strength of concrete with the anchoring of plants. Metal cross-hatching is placed over the project area, short pipes ensure drainage, concrete hardens the surface, and plants are allowed to grow.
The concrete is pretty idea is pretty cool. When I lived in AZ I always thought the metal nets used to keep the side of hills was a little ugly. The concrete can be stained to resemble the surrounding vegetation or stones and look less like an eyesore.