Erosion
FF Fallen Trees.m4vUnusual Bank Erosion
Beautiful healthy trees are no longer able to hold on to the banks. Fences that were once used to protect livestock from going into the river are now themselves hanging over the river.
As the banks of Floyds Fork are bermed and channeled, the riparian habitat is being dramatically eroded and washed downstream.
Healthy Sycamore just downstream from a new development
Huge piles of trees showing the height and force of Floyds Fork
Healthy Walnut that lost its bank making for a very dangerous situation for kayakers
Clear riparian erosion: This was top soil with vegetation six months ago!
Erosion is real! Floyds Fork is reaching faster speeds and higher levels with each rain event. We are not experiencing more annual rainfall. The river is higher and faster because of the effects of developments. It does not take a hydrologist to understand the effect of berming a bank that was once flood storage. Water that used to flow into natural storage areas would create ox bows, fill flood plains and soak the land. Now, that same amount of flowing water is forced into a tighter channel and climbs higher up the bank. During previous rain events, the soil higher up the bank saw little activity, but now it is being pounded with each rain event. That soil is now eroding much faster.
Where did all the soil go? That's what this tree is asking as well!
This bank looks more like a blanket.
Roots are desperately holding on to whatever soil is remaining.
Do trees really need soil?