Use creekwise gardening and landscaping practices. Make the most of your location next to a creek by helping to keep it healthy. Through proper care of stream banks and riparian vegetation, you can enhance your property, prevent erosion problems, avoid flood losses, preserve water quality, and contribute to the survival of fish and wildlife.
Keep pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers out of the creek. Fertilizers dissolve in a rainstorm and add excess nutrients to natural waters that lead to algae bloom, bad odors, and even fish kills. Never dispose of lawn clippings in a creek or on a creek bank. Soil and lawn clippings disposed in creeks become unsightly, destroy aquatic habitats, and cause diseases in trees. Motor oil, garbage, and pesticides find their way from streets and lawns into the creeks through storm drains, where they degrade water quality for fish and birds, and kill the insects they eat.
Remember invasive species out – put local native species in. Preserve vegetation next to the creek. Native plants and trees which specialize in growing within a creek corridor provide important habitat value unlike many exotic plants. Native species provide erosion protection during high water flows and generally recover quickly when waters subside. In times of flooding, a creek bank with native trees and plants may be your property’s best protection. Trees and vegetation prevent erosion and provide essential shade that keeps water cool for fish and wildlife. Plant native and wildlife-attracting plants whenever possible to restore natural habitat.
Pave only when necessary. Paved surfaces increase runoff during storms and peak flows in creeks, adding to flooding and erosion problems. Paving also results in lower creek flows during the dry season. If you are planning to construct walkways, patios, driveways, or stormwater drains, consider alternatives with permeable surfaces to allow more rain water to soak into the ground. Never dispose of concrete, asphalt or other building materials in the creek. Build structures away from the creek.
Avoid locating structures such as decks, patios and storage sheds near the creek bank. Construction disturbs the soil and vegetation. Any structure built within reach of flood waters can be damaged or destroyed and may decrease the creek’s ability to carry high water safely. It’s best to maintain the area in a natural state. Some communities have creek setbacks which require structures be built at a certain minimum distance from the creek.
Check for erosion regularly and correct problems promptly. Erosion control need not be costly. Consider low-tech, lower-cost, creek-friendly alternatives such as planting with native riparian species to stabilize creek banks. Direct-seeding or direct-cutting installation of some species is easy and ecological if harvested from your own creek. The best erosion control is proper creek care along the entire waterway. Work with your neighbors. It is important for neighbors to cooperate in their efforts and share responsibility for maintaining a healthy creek. Be sure to seek professional advice and obtain necessary permits before taking action.
Be careful where you wash your car. Detergent and water on the street flow into the storm drains, which empty directly into creeks. Use a car wash (they filter their water), or use biodegradable soap and wash your car where the water will drain onto your lawn. Keep your dog on the leash except in designated areas, and don’t take it to delicate creek and wetland areas at all.
Pet poop pollution is a problem so clean up after your dog. Dogs are great, but even a friendly, well-trained dog can scare birds away from their nests and dig into nests and burrows. Reference: Urban Creeks See More Ways to Help the Creek