Surface Water Management Division

Streamside Living

• I just bought a house on a stream. What do I need to know?

• Can I live near a stream without affecting stream health?

• How can I learn to live near a stream without harming stream health?
  
  
  

Streamside Vegetation

• How can I landscape my yard without damaging my stream?

• I’ve heard the word “riparian” a lot. Does that just mean streamside?

• What should I plant along my stream?

• Why the emphasis on planting trees? Aren’t shrubs good for streams too?

• Why the emphasis on native plants?

• Can I clear brush near my stream?

• A tree near my stream looks like it will fall soon. Should I cut it down?
  
  
  

Yard and Garden Care

• Can I take water from the stream for my garden?

• Are there lawn chemicals that can harm my stream?

• Is organic fertilizer better for my stream than chemical fertilizer?

• I have caterpillars in the trees along my stream. Should I kill them?
  
  
  

Invasive Weeds

• Why should I care about weeds near my stream?

• Which weeds are bad for my stream?

• What should I do if I have invasive weeds near my stream?

• How can I remove invasive weeds safely?

• Can I get help removing invasive weeds?
  
  
  

Lakes and Wetlands

• Do these things also work on lakefront property?

• I have a pond and a wetland on my property. Does this stuff apply to ponds and wetlands?
  
  
  

The Law

• Why are there laws restricting my activities around my stream?

• Which laws do I need to know about?

• Why are the laws for streams so complex?

• What permits do I need to work in my stream?

• Why do I need a Hydraulic Project Approval? If it’s a free permit, then it can’t mean much.

• What will the Hydraulic Project Approval require?

• How far do I have to stay from my stream?

• That’s a fuzzy answer. How do I know for sure?

• What’s a Native Growth Protection Area?

• How do I know if I have an NGPA?

• Who owns an NGPA?

• I have a Native Growth Protection Area on my property. Does that mean I can’t do anything on that part of my property?

• Doesn’t all this stream stuff infringe on my private property rights?

Erosion and Sediment Problems

• How can I stop streambank erosion?

• How do I repair streambank erosion?

• Can I dump rock along my streambank to stop erosion?

• How can I deal with upstream development that caused sediment and erosion problems on my property?

• My stream has changed a lot in the past few years. Is that normal?

• How can I prevent my stream from jumping out of its channel?

• What should I do if sediment is accumulating in my stream?
  
  

Water Quality

• Is the water safe?

• What’s the red gunk in my stream?

• Is foam on the water bad?

• Should I do anything about oily stuff on the water?

• The water in my creek is brown. Does that mean it's really polluted?

• My neighbor is doing things that are harming water quality in the stream. I’m uncomfortable turning my neighbor in, but what else can I do?
  

Wildlife

• Is there anything living in my stream?

• Why don’t salmon spawn in my stream?

• How can I improve salmon habitat in my stream?

• How can I attract more wildlife to my stream?

• How can I attract birds?

• I already have pristine streamside habitat. Is there anything I should do?
  

Living With Beavers

• What should I do about beavers?

• Do beaver dams prevent salmon from moving upstream?

• Should I knock down the beaver dam so the salmon can move upstream?
  

Stream Cleaning

• Can I pull trash out of my stream?

• Should I clean-up my stream and remove brush and logs from the water?

• I have lots of sediment. Should I dredge my stream?
  

Building Things

• Can I build a footbridge over my stream?

• Can I build a trail to my stream?
  

Pets and Stock

• How do I keep cows and horses without harming the stream?

• Can I let my dog run in the stream?

• Why is manure bad for streams?

• Why is dog waste bad for streams? Doesn’t it just break down and go into the soil?

• Nobody picks-up after raccoons. Why the worry about my dog’s waste?