1.
Streams and riparian areas should be considered within
the context of their watersheds and managed accordingly.
2.
Streams both shape and reflect the landscape within
which they are located.
3.
Streams are naturally dynamic and are always changing
in one way or another.
4.
Streams can be classified in several ways. Understanding
stream classifications can assist in making management
decisions.
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Wetlands
which lie beside streams that flow during all or part of the
year under normal conditions are referred to as riparian
areas riparian areas. It is the presence of water during
all or a significant part of the growing season that makes
riparian areas so different from the uplands
that surround them. Streams and their adjacent riparian areas
are so interconnected that when we discuss "riparian
areas" throughout this course, we are including not only
the land beside the stream but the stream channel as well.
Every
creek, stream, and river--and its adjacent riparian area--is
part of an area known as a watershed.
A watershed encompasses all the land area whose flowing waters
drain into the same major tributary. Looking at streams and
riparian areas from a watershed perspective will increase
your understanding of the relationships that exist among upland
landscapes, riparian areas, and aquatic environments.
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