Let the Water Do the Work: Induced Meandering, an Evolving Method for Restoring Incised Channels

by Bill Zeedyk, Van Clothier

Let the Water Do the Work is an important contribution to riparian restoration. By thinking like a creek,' one can harness the regenerative power of floods to reshape stream banks and rebuild floodplains along gullied stream channels. Induced Meandering is an artful blend of the natural sciences—geomorphology, hydrology and ecology—which govern channel forming processes. Induced Meandering directly challenges the dominant paradigm of river and creek stabilization by promoting the intentional erosion of selected banks while fostering deposition of eroded materials on an evolving floodplain. The river self-heals as the growth of native riparian vegetation accelerates the meandering process. Anyone with an interest in natural resource management in these uncertain times should read this book and put these ideas to work. Let's go with the flow!

Genres: Gardening

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2009

Reviews

[Ben Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essential and thorough primer for watershed management in arid regions. Convincingly and passionately argued. Presents a sobering and clear-eyed picture of the historic and continued degradation of our water resources, and at the same time provides a model for sustained and consistent repair. Zeedyk and Clothier eschew utopian visions that seek to erase the reality of past abuse. They provide a vision of how to live within the constraints of the real watersheds we have inherited.