Many rivers, streams, and creeks in Iowa communities suffer from eroded banks and unstable channels due to changes in hydrology caused by urban development and agricultural land use. As runoff reaches waterways faster and in greater volumes, it accelerates erosion and disrupts natural stream function.
Stream corridors and adjacent floodplain buffers are essential green infrastructure. They provide space for floodwaters, help stabilize banks, protect infrastructure, and offer valuable community amenities such as trails and habitat.
Once streambanks begin to erode, repairs can become difficult and costly – especially in urban areas where fragmented property ownership makes it hard to manage a stream as a connected system. Effective restoration requires careful assessment of stream conditions and thoughtful engineering that works with natural processes to restore stability.
To assist local efforts, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources developed the River Restoration Toolbox. This resource provides a structured approach to designing and implementing streambank stabilization and channel restoration projects. Explore the toolbox here.
Example restoration practices
Grade control: Stabilizes stream elevation and prevents further down-cutting. Helps protect upstream areas from degradation and long-term erosion.
Vegetative restoration: Uses native plants to stabilize banks and enhance habitat. Preferred over hard armoring for its natural function, aesthetics, and ability to dissipate flow energy.
Riparian buffering: Establishes vegetated zones along streambanks that filter pollutants, reduce erosion, support biodiversity, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife.
Floodplain restoration: Reconnects the stream to its floodplain to reduce peak flows, improve groundwater recharge, store floodwater, and create space for habitat and recreation.
Geomorphic channel design: Restores stream form and function by recreating natural channel dimensions, patterns, and slopes that support long-term stability and ecological health.
Streambank toe protection: Reinforces the lower portion of streambanks using structural elements like rock toes or logs to resist erosion and reduce flow velocity at the bank interface.
Dam mitigation: Involves removing or modifying aging or unsafe dams to restore sediment movement, improve aquatic habitat, and reconnect upstream and downstream ecosystems.
Culvert adjustment: Replaces undersized or poorly placed culverts with designs that maintain sediment transport, allow fish passage, and support long-term stream stability.
River Restoration graduates
Below are locations and contact information for people who have taken the Level 1 River Restoration Toolbox Training. Some are consultants, while others are watershed coordinators or other agency staff.