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<br />A mixture of grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees should be used to provide a diversity of wildlife <br />habitats and soil protection. Some legumes should be used because of their nitrogen-fixing <br />attributes. <br /> <br />Plants should be positioned in various elevation zones of the bank based on their ability to <br />tolerate various durations of flooding and their attributes of dissipating current-energies. These <br />are discussed below: <br /> <br />Splash Zone: That portion of the bank between normal high-water and normal low-water flow <br />rates. This is the zone of highest stress. <br /> <br />Bank Zone: That portion of the bank usually above the normal high-water level; yet this site is <br />exposed periodically to erosive river currents, ice and debris movement, and traffic by animals or <br />humans. <br /> <br />Terrace Zone: That portion of the bank inland from the bank zone; it is usually not subjected to <br />erosive action of the river except during occasional flooding. <br /> <br />For the splash zone, only herbaceous semi-aquatic plants like reeds, rushes, and sedges are <br />suggested for planting. These types of plants can tolerate considerable flooding and are more <br />likely to live in this zone. In the bank zone, both herbaceous and woody plants are used. These <br />should still be quite flood tolerant and able to withstand partial to complete submergence for as <br />long as several weeks. The terrace zone is less significant for bank protection because it is less <br />often flooded, but less easily eroded. The terrace zone can contain native grasses, forbs, shrubs, <br />and trees that are slightly less flood tolerant than those in the bank zone. A combination of trees, <br />shrubs, and grasses in this zone will not only serve as an integrated plant community for erosion <br />control, but will improve wildlife habitat diversity and environmental benefits. <br /> <br />Revegetation Techniques <br />The entire streambank should be restored and revegetated to furnish a maximum array of plants <br />capable of providing proper ground cover for erosion protection, wildlife habitat, and <br />environmental benefits. Within Buffalo Creek, the planting sites or zones may be quite narrow in <br />width or difficult to distinguish. The entire bank in these cases should be treated as a systematic <br />arrangement of plants and treatment practices. <br /> <br />The splash zone should be planted primarily with reeds, rushes, sedges, and other semi-aquatic <br />plants. This zone cannot be successfully planted by seeding since the zone is inundated most of <br />the year. Transplanting during low water periods is the most practical approach. Three methods <br />of transplanting are recommended: sprigging, sodding, and the use of reed rolls. <br /> <br />Sprigging is simply just manual digging, separating, and planting of individual plant stems <br />(sprigs) with some roots or rhizomes attached. Sprigs are placed in holes or narrow trenches so <br />that only aerial sprouts are above the soil. <br /> <br />30 <br />