“EQIP”ing the Landowner with Solutions to Streambank Erosion Problems

	Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

From the 2000 Joint Meeting of the Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas Chapters of the American Fisheries Society held in Bossier City, Louisiana.

“EQIP”ing the Landowner with Solutions to Streambank Erosion Problems

Filipek, S., Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Stream Team Program, #2 Natural Resources Dr., Little Rock, AR 72205, (501) 223-6371, fax (501) 223-6461, sfilipek@agfc.state.ar.us

Oliver, M. (mloliver@agfc.state.ar.us) and K. Shirley, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 151 Hwy. 201, Mt. Home, AR 72653, (877) 425-7577, fax (870) 425-7883

Glennon, B., Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Bldg., Room 5404, 700 W. Capitol, Little Rock, AR 72201

Sediment is the number one pollutant in Arkansas and in the United States as well. Sediment can severely impact aquatic biota in streams in a number of ways including smothering of eggs, fry and food organisms and degradation of in-channel habitat. Research has shown habitat degradation as a major cause in fish composition changes. The source of a substantial amount of the sediment reaching many streams is erosion of the streambanks and channels themselves and/or associated riparian areas. The 1996 Farm Bill provided several programs for federal and state agencies to work with private landowners to restore degraded land and habitat, and to renovate impacted riparian areas. A 250-m long by 6-m high bank on Crooked Creek, a nationally renown smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) stream, was eroding at a rate of 2 m/year due to clearing to the edge of the stream as well as instream gravel mining. Using a Farm Bill program called EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) administered by the National Resources Conservation Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fisheries biologists led a team of several state, federal, and volunteer entities to attempt to repair the streambank and reduce erosion. A cedar tree revetment in association with erosion control matting, revegetation using rooted and unrooted cuttings were used to control the bank sloughing. A limited amount of channel work was done to change the hydraulic control and to move the stream back to its original channel. The total cost of the project ($26K) was shouldered by several agencies so that the landowner was only out 25% of total costs. This work decreased sediment input from this bank by 1,000+ tons/year.

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