Protecting Your Backyard Stream from

Streambank Erosion by Planting Willows

Figure 1. Crack willows reinforcing a streambank (Schoenmakers, 2012).

Contents
Abstract 3
Streambank Erosion Worsened by Human Activity 3
What is Streambank Erosion 3
Causes of Streambank Erosion 4
Effects of Streambank Erosion 5
Actions to Remedy Streambank Erosion 5
Methods for Protection and Restoration 5
The Advantages of Willows 5
Planting Willows to Prevent Streambank Erosion 6
Conclusion 7
References 8

Figures
Figure 1 1
Figure 2 4
Figure 3 6
Abstract
Streambank erosion can affect the health of streams, even the small one you may have in your
backyard. The National Backyard Streambank Preservation Trust has created this report to
provide information on the causes and effects of streambank erosion, and to offer potential
solutions for restoring and safeguarding streams. Various human activities serve to exacerbate
streambank erosion, which can lead to damaging the nearby area and its inhabitants. The
National Backyard Streambank Preservation Trust recommends planting willows to address
erosion in your backyard stream.

Streambank Erosion Worsened by Human Activity

What is Streambank Erosion
Streambank erosion is the process by which sediment, vegetation, and other material is removed
from the banks of a stream. One of the two forces responsible for streambank erosion is the very
water that runs in a stream. Over time, running water wears away at rocks and washes away
loose soil, especially when water levels are increased after a storm. The other force at work is
gravity. As the bottom of a bank is eroded by water, an overhang develops at the top of the bank,
which eventually succumbs to gravity and collapses into the stream. Streams with higher banks
experience more erosion than streams with lower banks during floods. Low banks allow flood
waters to spill out into the surrounding area, reducing the stress that would be placed on the
streambanks by the additional volume of water, whereas higher banks keep flood waters
contained to the stream and are therefore subject to the extra stress (Agouridis & Burnette,
2014).
 Figure 2. A stream with an overhang from soil eroding from the bottom of the bank (Main, 2006).

Causes of Streambank Erosion

While streambank erosion is a natural process, as water wears away rock and soil over time, a
variety of human activities contribute to erosion occurring at a faster rate. Straightening a stream
results in water having a shorter amount of space to change elevation than a stream with curves
and bends. This creates a steeper stream that causes more streambank erosion in turn. Human
infrastructure, such as roads and buildings, is often made of materials that do not permit the
absorption of water as well as soil does. This directs more water to streams, making them deeper
and increasing the rate of erosion they experience (Agouridis & Burnette, 2014). Clearing away
vegetation near a stream is another common human activity that has the side effect of removing
some of the stream’s protection from erosion. The roots of plants act as an anchor in
streambanks, helping to prevent soil from being washed away. Deeper roots make for a better
anchor, but the grasses humans leave behind or plant typically have much shorter roots than the
trees and other vegetation that they clear away (Hartup et al., 2014).
Effects of Streambank Erosion
Increases in the rate of streambank erosion can result in consequences for the ecosystem a stream
is a part of, as well as for the humans living nearby. Streambank erosion adds to the amount of
sediment and other material that floats in streams, which has a negative impact on the health of
organisms such as fish that live in the water. Humans and other animals near streambanks are at
risk of injury if an overhang suddenly collapsescollapses from their added weight. Streambanks
being worn away also decreases the amount of usable land on the property where the stream is
located. Nearby human infrastructure, such as roads and bridges that may themselves have
helped contribute to erosion, are at risk from being damaged by erosion, requiring repairs or
becoming hazards (Agouridis & Burnette, 2014).

Actions to Remedy Streambank Erosion

Methods for Protection and Restoration
There are a multitude of methods for protecting or restoring a streambank. Protective methods
include shoring up banks with hard materials like stone, planting vegetation whose roots help to
hold soil in place, and creating structures in the stream that direct water away from the banks.
Methods to restore streambanks can be expensive and labor intensive, such as excavating a large
amount of land in order to lower the banks and provide the stream access to the surrounding
floodplain (Agouridis & Burnette, 2014). While each potential solution for streambank erosion
may be a better or worse fix for a particular situation, this report by the National Backyard
Streambank Preservation Trust is focused on solutions for those with small, backyard streams.
Introducing vegetation to the area near a stream is often cheapest and easiest, and one of the best
choices is to plant willows.

The Advantages of Willows

The feature of willows that makes them such a cheap and easy option is their ability to reproduce
vegetatively. This means that cuttings from willows will sprout roots and start growing when
placed in soil with access to water (Syme, 2014). Willow cuttings of varying size, from small
stakes to larger posts depending on the stream and surrounding area, can be driven into the soil
near a stream, concentrated in the areas of greatest concern. It is recommended to choose a
species of willow native to your area, since it will be suited to growing there and not compete as
much with other plants (West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, n.d.).

In addition to being cost-effective and requiring low effort to implement, willows have several
other features that make them a good choice for protecting a streambank against erosion.
Willows develop deep and sturdy root systems that help hold soil in place, reducing the amount
of soil washed away by the waters of the stream. Willows also grow quite quickly, securing soil
that might otherwise erode while slower plants are still establishing their roots (Syme, 2014). A
combination of other kinds of vegetation can provide even further protection for a stream, as can
the other methods mentioned above, but willows will often be the quickest and easiest solution
for your backyard stream.
Figure 3. Willow stakes planted near a stream for soil reinforcement (Dakota County Soil and
Water Conservation District, 2004).

Planting Willows to Prevent Streambank Erosion

Depending on the size of the stream and the extent of erosion, different sizes of willow plantings
are more or less effective and require varying amounts of labor. As this report is focused on
solutions for small, backyard streams, it will cover how to use small willow cuttings. If you are
planting willows in soil where they will need to grow deeper to access water, use larger stakes or
posts. Acquire willow cuttings from a nursery or from willows in your area. This will provide
you with native willows that are more likely to survive and less likely to compete with other
plants. Make sure to use cuttings and not seedlings. Willows are some of the first plants to bloom
in the spring and some of the last plants to lose their leaves in the fall. For the best results, collect
your willow cuttings while the trees are dormant and plant them in early spring before they
blossom (West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, n.d.).In addition to being cost-
effective and requiring low effort to implement, willows have several other features that make
them a good choice for protecting a streambank against erosion. Willows develop deep and
sturdy root systems that help hold soil in place, reducing the amount of soil washed away by the
waters of the stream. Willows also grow quite quickly, securing soil that might otherwise erode
while slower plants are still establishing their roots (Syme, 2014). A combination of other kinds
of vegetation can provide even further protection for a stream, as can the other methods
mentioned above, but willows will often be the quickest and easiest solution for your backyard
stream.

The process for planting small willow cuttings to prevent erosion in your backyard stream is
simple and requires little work. The only tools you’ll need are a set of pruning shears, or some
other way to cut the willow plants to size.
1. Use willow cuttings that are about 1 inch in diameter.
2. Cut off any branches or bits that stick out, so that your cuttings are roughly straight.
3. Trim the cuttings to be between 1 and 2 feet in length.
4. Plant the cuttings on your streambank by pushing them into the soil so that all but a few
inches are below the surface. If the soil is firm and you are having difficulty planting the
cuttings, you can create holes ahead of time and push the cuttings into the holes. Leave 2
feet of space between each cutting.

Conclusion
Streambank erosion, and the rate at which it occurs, is an important process to consider as part of
the quality of your backyard stream. You may have cleared away vegetation near your stream,
orstream or be engaged in other activities that increase the amount of soil being removed from
the banks. Planting vegetation by your stream will hold the soil on the banks in place, andplace
and reduce how much is swept away by the water, with willows being the best choice for what
vegetation to plant. Willows have the advantages of being cheap to obtain, easy to plant, quick to
grow, and create a stable network of deep roots. If you’re worried about the levels of erosion
affecting your backyard stream, the National Backyard Streambank Preservation Trust
encourages you to plant willows, and to contact us for more information.
References
Agouridis, C. T., & Burnette, M. C. (2014). Streambank erosion. University of Kentucky
College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/AEN/AEN124/AEN124.pdf
Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District. (2004). Live stake plantings along the
Vermillion River [Photograph]. University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.
https://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/UWEXLakes/PublishingImages/resources/restoration-
project/live%20stakes%20planting%20dakota%20county%20mn%202004.png
Hartup, W., Lord, B., Patoprsty, W., Woodward, M., & Woofter S. (2015). Small-scale solutions
to eroding streambanks. NC Cooperative Extension - Backyard Stream Repair Program
Team. https://www.ncforestservice.gov/publications/BYSRGuide2015.pdf
Main, I. (2006). Pimmit bank erosion [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Pimmit_bank_erosion.JPG
Schoenmakers, B. (2012). Pollard willows, Arnhem, the Netherlands [Photograph]. Wikimedia
Commons.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Pollard_willows
%2C_Arnhem%2C_the_Netherlands.jpg/800px-Pollard_willows%2C_Arnhem
%2C_the_Netherlands.jpg
Syme, A. (2014). Willow. Reaktion Books Ltd.

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. (n.d.). Restoring stream banks with
willows.
https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/getinvolved/sos/Documents/More/RestorationUsingWillows.pd
f