• Helps to maintain the stream bank.  The root systems of large woody plants keep the bank from eroding.  Eroding banks clog streams with sediment.
• Prevents pollution of the stream by lawn fertilizers or run-off from roads.
• Supplies food for many of the critters that live in the stream, including fish.
• Shades the stream, allowing fish, such as trout who need cold water, to survive.
• Improves wildlife habitat.
• Provides a natural corridor for wildlife.
• Enhances water quality.

If you have a stream side are on or near your property, please try to maintain it as a buffer.  Remove only invasive species and replace them with natives.  A healthy stream system is dependent on your help.