Seasons – May 2023

What is a Riparian Zone?

Riparian zones occur around lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands, but they are more commonly associated with rivers and streams. There are 15 major rivers that flow through Texas and nearly 200,000 miles of streams and rivers in the state. Not everyone has riverfront property, but many people have some sort of watercourse flowing through their land. The supply of water and nutrients in these areas supports vegetation that does not occur in the surrounding uplands. The diverse structure and composition of these areas provide long, connected corridors of habitat for wildlife. These areas are known as riparian zones or riparian systems.

Wetlands are characterized by soils that are typically saturated by water and poorly drained, but riparian zones only experience periodic flooding in well-drained soils with a water table that is much closer to the surface than in upland habitats. Riparian vegetation relies on occasional access to free water in the water table to survive. Bald cypress, sycamore, pecan, and black willow are just a few of the many plants that require at least temporary access to the water table or elevated soil moisture to thrive.

People, livestock, and wildlife all rely on riparian zones. People utilize them heavily for recreation, as a quick drive to any river during the summer (except perhaps Summer 2020) will tell you. Livestock and people use them for similar reasons – water, food, and cooler temperatures. Many species of wildlife rely on riparian zones to survive. They produce enormous quantities of food and often provide access to the only water available for miles. As with most water-associated areas, the extremes of the surrounding uplands are moderated in riparian zones. While they offer cool shade in the summer, the dense vegetation also offers thermal insulation in the winter.

In addition to providing wildlife habitat, properly vegetated riparian zones also absorb water and energy from floods, reducing downstream flooding and erosion and the damage it causes while increasing infiltration for groundwater recharge. Shading helps keep water temperatures cool, providing higher levels of dissolved oxygen for aquatic organisms. Tree roots and grasses growing along stream banks trap sediment from upstream erosion, helping to clean the water before it moves on. The underground biomass in these systems can exceed what you see growing aboveground, and all that underground material acts like a sponge to absorb, hold, and slowly release water. Since it all flows downhill, proper management of your riparian zones benefits not only you but everyone downstream as well.

How do Riparian Zones impact Wildlife

Perhaps the most important aspect of riparian zones for many small landowners is their role as travel corridors for wildlife of all kinds. Small acreage landowners can provide a variety of benefits for wildlife on their property, but these patches of quality habitat are often isolated from each other by different land uses. Heavily wooded streams provide protection for deer, turkey, bobcats, songbirds, and other mobile animals as they move from patch to patch, like a highway system for wildlife. Even if the surrounding habitat is in poor condition, wildlife can use riparian corridors to find quality habitat on nearby properties. Those of you lucky enough to have riparian habitat likely have many more species of wildlife at any given time than those with only upland habitat.

Due to the fact that riparian zones often occupy very small areas in relation to their benefits, they are more susceptible to degradation and poor management. Livestock can be particularly hard on stream banks and riparian vegetation, just as people are along urban rivers. Vehicles can damage riparian areas as well, but this can be mitigated by installing alternate routes or low water crossings. The need to provide access to water and protect your streams and rivers can be balanced by restricting livestock and recreational access to targeted areas, leaving most of the bank in a more natural state. While a long, clean bank of shortly mowed grass with a few trees makes it easy to see and access your stream, it is an entirely unnatural condition that creates a poorly functioning riparian area.

Riparian systems are self-managing in many ways if we can avoid putting up obstacles to natural processes. Sometimes well-meaning efforts such as excessive vegetation removal, dams, removal of large wood, and typical engineered “solutions” often create larger issues by interfering with natural processes. Knowing how to identify functional riparian systems and things that hinder function are the best tools in your management toolbox for these special areas. Sometimes the best management is to stop “managing” so you can get the most out of these habitats that are small in size but big in benefits.

For a wealth of information on riparian areas and their management please visit www.remarkableriparian.org.

Have questions about Riparian Zones? Please contact us at [email protected] or (512) 894-3479.

Don’t let summer sneak up on you before you complete your Spring wildlife management activities.

From bluebonnets blooming to birds zipping around, the signs of spring are all around us, but they won’t last long. This is an important season for wildlife management plan landowners with several key activities to accomplish before the the end of the season. With spring halfway over, we want to make sure you are on track to finish your spring qualifying wildlife management activities and that they are well documented. Here’s a quick checklist to review to ensure you’ve completed the activities that align with your management goals:

• Predator Control
  • Imported Red Fire Ant Control
  • Brown-headed cowbirds during breeding bird season
• Erosion Control
• Supplemental Water
• Spring Breeding Bird Surveys
• Re-Seeding Native Grasses

There are plenty of timely activities to choose from, and of course, Plateau is always here to help when you need us.

To schedule a service for your property, contact us at [email protected] or (512) 894-3479.