Urban Riparian & Stream Restoration Program

The restoration site prior to the planting restoration Credit:
The restoration site prior to the planting restoration

The Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program is an educational program focused on the emerging discipline of natural stream design. Natural design works to maintain or restore the primary stream functions of water transport, sediment transport and wildlife habitat though the use of selected vegetation and engineered placement of existing riparian features such as rocks or fallen timber.

One-day urban riparian and stream restoration trainings on assessing and restoring degraded urban riparian areas are offered and are geared toward professionals interested in restoration activities including those with municipalities, local/state/federal agencies, river authorities, water districts, land trusts and environmental organizations as well as consultants.

The morning sessions consist of educational presentations focused on protecting water quality and restoring riparian buffers, stream classification and restoration, watersheds and environmentally sensitive areas, followed by lunch. At the afternoon sessions, attendees perform a stream evaluation at a nearby stream and receive a certificate of completion.

This program also includes a demonstration project on the benefits of restored and healthy riparian areas.

The Texas Water Resources Institute, in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas, Texas Riparian Association and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, are coordinating the Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program.

Lucas Gregory
lfgregory@ag.tamu.edu

Lucas Gregory, Ph.D., currently serves as associate director of research – physical sciences.

    News


    The Texas Water Resources Institute has published its latest Annual Report, focusing on accomplishments and project highlights from 2019.


    The Texas Water Resources Institute’s Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host an Urban Stream Processes and Restoration Training from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 29 in New Braunfels for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects around the Interstate 35 corridor.


    If you follow Texas Water Resources Institute on social media (@TxWRI), you may have noticed our monthly program spotlights, but in case you missed it, for the month of September the focus was on our Urban Riparian & Stream Restoration Program.


    This month’s txH2O highlight is from the Fall 2017 issue of the magazine and focuses on the effectiveness of low impact development (LID) practices in reducing negative environmental impacts of urban growth.


    The Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program of the Texas Water Resources Institute will host an Urban Stream Processes and Restoration training from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 19 in McKinney for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects in and around the Dallas area.


    From a math major to a watershed saver, Clare Entwistle, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) research associate, knows that protecting riparian areas is important for the future of Texas.


    The Texas Water Resources Institute water team along with Ward Ling, Geronimo and Alligator Creek watershed coordinator, and volunteers recently planted native species along the Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program demonstration site located on Geronimo Creek at the Irma Lewis Seguin Outdoor Learning Center in Seguin, Texas.

     


    Riparian and natural resource professionals discussed current innovations and issues in riparian restoration and management at the Urban Riparian Symposium: Balancing the Challenges of Healthy Urban Streams Feb. 15-17 in Houston at Rice University’s BioScience Research Collaborative Building.


    The Urban Riparian Symposium will be held Feb. 15-17, 2017, in Houston, and natural resource professionals are invited to attend, share ideas and discuss management and policy issues.


    Even in cities, amidst the tall buildings, fast cars and busy people, there are still natural resources that need protection — particularly urban riparian areas, according to Nikki Dictson, Texas Water Resources Institute Extension program specialist. These vegetative buffers found along rivers and streams are complex ecosystems that include the land, plants, animals and network of streams within them.

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      This project is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.