By Michael DeLasaux, Holly George, and Philip Mainwaring

Excerpt:
"Riparian areas are next to streams, springs, rivers, ponds and lakes. Physical characteristics that influence riparian areas vary considerably and include slpe, aspect, topography, soil, type of streambed material, water quality, elevation, size, and adjacent plant community...

"You probably have overall management goals that include livestock production objectives. What about your riparian areas? Management objectives for a healthy riparian area may include:

• High water table and maintenance of water storage capacity,
• High forage production,
• Shade for cool water,
• Habitat for desirable fish,
• Wildlife habitat diversity,
• Presence of vegetation and roots to protect and stabilize banks,
• Late summer stream flows.

Management objectives can help you define what to monitor. For example, by recording the amount of bare soil along a stream bank each season, you may determine the trend of the bank towards stability or degradation. If the amount of bare banks is increasing, then your management practices should be changed to fullfill the objective of protected banks and stable banks..."