A stream,
brook, beck, burn or creek, is a body of water with a detectable
current,confined within a bed and banks. Stream is also an umbrella term used in the scientific
community for all flowing natural waters, regardless of
size.
A study of 16streams in eastern North
America shows that riparian deforestation causes channel
narrowing, which reduces the total amount of stream habitat andecosystem per unit channel
length and compromises in-stream processing of
pollutants. Wide forest reaches had more macroinvertebrates, totalecosystem processing
of organic matter, and nitrogen uptake per unit channel
length than contiguous narrow deforested reaches. Stream
narrowing nullified any potential advantages of
deforestation regarding abundance of fish, quality of
dissolved organic matter, and pesticide degradation.
These findings show that forested stream channels
have a wider and more natural configuration, which
significantly affects the total in-stream amount and
activity of theecosystem, including the
processing of pollutants. The results reinforce both
current policy of the United States that endorses
riparian forest buffers as best management practice and
federal and state programs that subsidize riparian
reforestation for stream restoration and water quality.
Not only do forest buffers prevent nonpoint source
pollutants from entering small streams, they also enhance the
in-stream processing of both nonpoint and point source
pollutants, thereby reducing their impact on downstream rivers
and estuaries.
Why should we take care
of our streams?
Healthy streams are
important to fish and should be treated with care and respect.
Streams and lakes provide living, feeding and spawning areas for
fish. A good water body for fish has many different
characteristics. Although young fish may not have the same needs as
spawning fish, all need an adequate flow of clean, cool
water.
A good rearing area
should have different types of habitat for cover for fish (pools,
forest debris, boulders, overhanging trees and brush), few floods
and droughts, moderate summer temperatures, few predators, and lots
of insects for food. In a good spawning area, adult salmon should be
able to reach spawning gravel that has free-flowing water and is
free of silt.
Unfortunately, lakes and
streams can be easily and often seriously damaged. Sometimes, the
damage is caused by carelessness in mining or logging practices, or
by poorly-planned city and community growth and the pollution that
accompanies it. These factors are mainly beyond your control. But
there are stream care guidelines which you can follow to help save
and preserve our streams.
What are some stream
care guidelines?
Leave natural
stream side and lake shore vegetation alone
- Trees and
shrubs shade the stream, keeping the water temperature cool for
fish. Insects fall off the vegetation and into the water, providing
food for the fish.
Plant
vegetation on the sides of a lake or stream to stabilize its
banks
- Any plants that have roots that spread and knit the
soil help strengthen the banks and prevent them from being washed
away during floods. Alder, cottonwood trees and willows provide good
root systems for this purpose, and can be planted on the
banks.
Do not remove
natural debris, such as stumps, fallen trees or boulders, from the
stream
-
Fish use these as part of their habitat, and as
cover from predators (which include larger fish, birds, and small
animals). Trees should only be removed when they block the passage
of fish.
Be careful when
clearing land or building near streams
- Heavy equipment in
the stream can ruin spawning gravel, destroy fish habitat, and
damage stream banks. Vegetation which has been damaged or
destroyed by construction should be replaced as soon as possible
because fish depend on it for food and shelter. When the cover is
stripped from the sides of streams, the water temperature rises
because it is no longer shaded. Warm water can cause poor health and
disease in fish.
Prevent muddy
runoff water from construction sights from entering the
stream
- Water which is brown with sediment can smother fish
eggs which are incubating in the gravel. Without oxygen, which is
dissolved in water, the eggs will die. Also, fish food organisms
will be buried and then fish may go hungry.
Leave erodible
soils (soils that can be washed away) alone during the wet, rainy
season
- Stream banks can be easily damaged during the rainy
season. Every rainfall can soften and wash down stream banks,
sending mud and soil into the steam.
Do not catch
small fish and move them into another stream or pond, or take them
home
-
It is illegal to catch and move fish to another
stream. The fish could spread diseases to the fish in the other
stream, or you could reduce the number of fish in the stream so that
there would not be enough remaining to continue the
species.
Leave the
stream alone; don't dig holes or try to redirect the flow of the
stream
- By digging holes or building dams, you may be
destroying a spawning or fish producing area. Fish could become
stranded if the stream's flow is changed.
Keep pets and
livestock away from streams
- Livestock should
not be allowed to graze on stream banks because they trample and
destroy vegetation or ruin spawning gravel by walking in the stream
beds. Dogs should be controlled when they are near streams, they
sometimes chase spawning fish, or they stir up the mud in the
stream.
Use garden and
lawn chemicals sparingly with care. Follow disposal instructions
carefully
-
Do not spray stream side vegetation. Some
chemicals (bug and weed killers) are toxic, and harmful to people
and fish. Other chemicals (fertilizers) can make algae and weeds
grow in streams and lakes, and disturb the fish's food
supply.
Remove garbage
from the stream area
- Litter in the stream can ruin the
water, and may be toxic to the fish and wildlife that use it. The
beauty of a stream is spoiled by throwing unwanted articles into
it.
Direct soap
suds, detergents, waste oil, gasoline or other household chemicals
onto absorbent ground away from streams, not down storm drains or
into roadside ditches
- When you wash the
wastewater containing these substances down storm drains, it enters
the streams untreated and pollutes the water system.