When human activities and natural events cause riparian vegetation to be disturbed or lost, there can be dramatic changes in bank stability, channel form, and flood patterns. The result is a significant loss in habitat for native wildlife and property loss due to erosion. Re-vegetation projects attempt to address these issues by re-establishing native vegetation at degraded sites and restoring natural processes and functions to the riparian zone.
Projects
Arundo donax Eradication
Arundo donax is an invasive plant originally from the Mediterranean. Arundo looks like a cross between corn and bamboo and grows quickly and aggressively. Its height and speedy growth lead it to be a desirable plant for privacy screens. Unfortunately its quick growth rate also allows it to easily get out of control. Arundo planted along streams will break apart during flood events and deposit downstream. Every piece of arundo can re-sprout, so this process leads to many new plants along the river.
ERWIG is working to remove Arundo donax from the Eel River watershed before it outcompetes native stream plants and takes over. Each year we look for patches of arundo and team up with landowners, the California Conservation Corps and the Sonoma Ecology Center to eradicate any that we find. Please contact us if you have arundo on your property and would like it removed.
Native Plant Revegetation
At the conclusion of most instream restoration projects native trees and plants are planted in areas disturbed during project implementation. Sometimes invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry or pampas grass are removed prior to planting in order to ensure that the natives have a chance to re-establish themselves.
Planting typically take place in the early winter, giving the plants all winter and spring to establish roots in the cool, wet weather. Typically we plant redwood and Douglas fir, but the species will vary in order to match the community of plants already existing in the watershed.
