- Plants growing along streambanks are a natural filter for runoff, helping to stop eroding soils and pollutants from entering the stream.
- Streamside vegetation provides shade that keeps the water cool.
- Trees create cover for fish when they fall into streams, and they help to store gravel within the stream.
- Streamside vegetation increases the food supply by providing habitat and food for aquatic insects, which are eaten by brook trout.
- Roots of streamside vegetation anchor soils in place, stabilizing the streambank.
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This stream has good streambank vegetation and the water is clear.
This stream lacks streambank vegetation. |
