Materials and Techniques for Live Staking Plants onto Reservoir Shorelines

Julie Mitchell and Larry Dyck
Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.

Much of the shorelines of our South Caroline Piedmont reservoirs are exposed to high levels of wave energy, resulting in heavily eroded banks. How can we vegetate these wide expanses of shoreline inexpensively? Three questions must be considered. Initially, how can plants be propagated inexpensively? Various methods of inexpensive plant propagation techniques will be discussed, with an emphasis on propagation by stem cuttings. Secondly, how can these inexpensive propagation techniques be applied to Shoreline Bioengineering? The stem cutting propagation technique will be applied to Shoreline Bioengineering techniques. The techniques will be briefly discussed. Thirdly, how can we select plants that are appropriate for Shoreline Bioengineering of our S.C. Piedmont reservoirs? I will present a list of appropriate plants (readily available and/or good rooting ability), developed with the assistance of Chapter 16 of the NRCS Engineering Field Handbook, various herbaria located throughout S.C., and Radford's manual. Fascine and live stake installations of the plants of the developed list occurred in consolidated clay at the Cooperative Shoreline Plant Nursery. The species that were successful are Cephalanthus occidentalis, Cornus amomum, Itea virginica, Salix nigra, and Sambuccus canadensis. Thus, these species are good live staking candidates for S.C. Piedmont Reservoirs.