Learning from Nature in California: Using Bioengineering to Control Erosion and Restore Stream Banks in a Sacramento Suburb
Note to Reader:
The story below is extracted from an article written by Sena Christian and published by the Earth Island Journal.
City of Rosevale’s efforts to stabilize creeks with plants are part of a larger paradigm shift in public works initiatives
“Scott Dietrich, an environmental engineer with the City of Roseville, is the man behind the city’s biotechnical engineering efforts, which is becoming the preferred method of erosion control and stream bank restoration in this suburb of Sacramento, California. The efforts are also part of a larger paradigm shift for public works initiatives that now incorporate an environmental standpoint. No longer do crews just throw down rocks and concrete,” writes Sena Christian.
“The concept is nature does a better job than man when you’re talking about a creek,” Dietrich says. “Bioengineering as a solution to erosion has come to the forefront recently because of its ability to use natural plants to help stabilize high erosion areas without sacrificing many environmental benefits that old hard engineering did.”
Initially, city officials weren’t agreeable and he had to reassure them that the method would be effective and didn’t involve much risk. “They try to control the creek,” Dietrich says. “That’s just how it’s been taught. This [biotechnical engineering] is working more with the creek and not trying to fight it so much. How does a creek naturally dissipate? Let’s work with that.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete story by Sena Christian and published online by the Earth Science Journal in Februay 2013, click on Learning from Nature: Using Bioengineering to Save Water Bodies; and to download a PDF copy, click here.
Acknowledgments: Earth Island Journal is a quarterly magazine that combines investigative journalism and thought-provoking essays that make the subtle but profound connections between the environment and other contemporary issues. The photo below was taken by Sena Christian. It shows community volunteers planting native trees and grass to stabilize an eroding bank on Linda Creek.
