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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I (Appendix A). The sinuosity creates pools where the water is deeper. The lateral movement means the destruction of the old floodplain on one side and the creation of bars and a new floodplain on the other side. Old trees falling into pools establish shelter for fishes. "l:~~ Figul'e 9. A meandering section of the river in South Platte River Park. Stones. Stones from quarries are used for riprap to protect river banks and to stabilize the riverbed leveL On the banks, the riprap ages over time; the voids fill with soil and dead grasses and vegetation grows out of the riprap. Slowly, the riprapped bank looses its out-of-place appearance and becomes part of the natural environment Not so for the loose rip rap grade- control structures, strings of stones, and the isolated stones placed for fish habitat These are entirely foreign to the natural South Platte River in the metropolitan area, or to the former pristine river. In the Urban area, placed and grouted stones can be made to appear part of the Urban environment Loose quarry stones look alien everywhere. Consideration could be given to creating aquatic habitat in the Rural and Suburban reaches with snags or with artificial snags instead of stones. Iflarge cobbles or small rounded boulders were available, they could be used to create more natural looking grade-conrol structures. Beavers. The beavers are plentiful along the South Platte, sometimes feasting on the new trees planted by Parks and not protected adequately. Any tree. that beavers like to eat and people want to save must be protected with stiff wire mesh at least 36 inches high (Fig. 10). Beavers have dragged down chicken wire and have reached over 30-in high wire mesh 15