Kyle Kellams: The border between a stream and development called riparian is an important place. This is where the health of waterways can be greatly affected negatively if there isn’t sufficient boundary to help mitigate pollution, contamination or erosion. Next week, Beaver Watershed Alliance and Watershed Conservation Resource Center will team up to present a free riparian restoration workshop at the Goshen Community Center. Stephanie Bohlen, outreach coordinator for Beaver Watershed Alliance, says a riparian zone is a natural buffer.
Stephanie Bohlen: We like to plant native trees and shrubs within that, and that helps protect the stream bank so that holds it in because native plants, their root systems are stronger and better suited for that. And so we have less erosion. And a lot of people don’t know this, but one of our biggest polluters is sediment. And so that’s really expensive for our water bills when there’s too much sediment. So we’re always trying to reduce that. And riparian buffers, also outside of water quality, they help with wildlife. So it’s a nice invitation to wildlife and flood mitigation, which we’re seeing more and more of as time progresses.
Kellams: I imagine as an area grows, the riparian buffers can be more endangered and need more tender loving care, more attention.
Bohlen: Absolutely. With growth, we need more because the more nonpervious surface that we have, that means that the water will just roll off. And so that riparian buffer is also one of the last steps to clean it before it hits the water. So that catches a lot. And a lot of people don’t realize it, and they see it as kind of an eyesore even. But that is a really important buffer with the lack of green spaces that come with this growth.
Kellams: So what will happen at the workshop? What can we learn?
Bohlen: The workshop is for everyone. It’s going to be a range of—we have some city employees coming all the way to the general public. And it’s to help people understand what that means because it is very complex. I feel like it’s not common knowledge what you should be planting. I mean, you can look online, but there’s going to be a lot of different ideas. And so this class is geared toward our area. We have specialists that will be there to tell you how to even distinguish between an invasive and noninvasive species because some species look really similar.
And so it’s basically like school, which I feel like we all still need as adults. And it’s fun. But yeah, there’s the plant identification, there’s invasive removal techniques because there’s a lot that you might not know, because if you were to use any kind of chemicals like the night before it rains, that also would be bad. And that will just go into the water as well. And then it’s kind of just a larger—to help you start thinking of management plans and just to understand it on a city level or for your own backyard if you happen to be by a stream.
Kellams: Now, you said it’s open to anybody, so you don’t have to be a city official. You don’t have to be a rancher or anything like that.
Bohlen: Nope. We want anyone who has an interest in coming to be able to go. It is free. We even provide lunch. So we work with our partners. The Watershed Conservation Resource Center is a huge partner on this, and we work with them a lot. And so between the two of us, we’re bringing in a lot of experts that can help people. And yeah, I’ve even done the class myself. It’s been a while, but it’s really fun. And there’s a lot to find out.
If you come, you will receive a copy of ‘Invasive Plants of Northwest Arkansas.’ And so that is a nice asset to have. I keep mine in my car. And they add to it. So the Watershed Conservation Resource Center that I mentioned earlier, they’re constantly looking at that and updating it as more invasives become more aware, more invasive, or as they move in. And that is a book that you can just add pages to. So it’s a great resource that’s also provided from this.
Kellams: Well, thank you so much for your time.
Bohlen: Yeah. Thank you for having us.
Kellams: Stephanie Bohlen is outreach coordinator for Beaver Watershed Alliance. The riparian restoration workshop is Nov. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Goshen Community Center in Goshen. It’s free, open to the public, and includes lunch. Preregistration is required by sending an email to info@beaverwatershedalliance.org.
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