9461

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9461
• Author: Colorado Riparian Association.
• Title: Colorado Guide
• USFW Year: 2001.
• USFW - Doc Type: Stream Corridor.
• Copyright Material: NO

Unhealthy Stream Corridors (cont.)
Some additional indicators of unstable stream channels
• Multiple shifting channels
• Heavy sediment load
• Lateral erosion
• Wide, shallow channel
• Minimal aquatic habitat
• Sparse riparian vegetation
Key points illustrated in the
photograph
• Multiple shallow channels indicate
excessive sediment in the channel.
• Aquatic habitat has been degraded
because water is shallower and warmer
than it was previously.
Some braided streams occur naturally, such as
in a glacial headwater environment, but in
Colorado they most often result from human
activities that contribute excess sediment to the
stream.
Does Stability = Health?
As you think about your stream's health, ask yourself these questions:
1. Are moving water and sediment in balance?
2. Is my stream accessing the floodplain?
3. Are the banks protected by healthy riparian vegetation with dense, bank-
binding roots?
4. Is my stream's sinuosity, gradient, or channel shape changing?
5. What is happening in the watershed and how is that affecting my stream?
6. Is my stream in balance with the surrounding environment?
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Braided Stream Channels