Stream Bank Armoring

What – Reinforcement of streambank with protective covering, such as rocks, vegetation or engineering materials (including boulders, riprap, and gabion baskets).

Purpose – Reduce bank cutting and erosion due to peak flows.

Effectiveness – No quantitative effectiveness monitoring data exists for this treatment.  Streambank armoring is likely to work better when implemented in gentle gradients, high in the watershed, and placed in a series.  Problems include complete structure failure from large storms.  In-channel treatments without adjacent hillslope treatments are ineffective.

Where

• Highly erodible streambanks.

Cost – moderate to high (no specific estimates are available).  Costs factors listed below:

• Location and access
• Size of material required (which then relates to mechanical equipment or hand labor requirements)

How to Link – See USDA BAER Catalog page 97 (PDF page 105); and National Engineering Handbook - Streambank Armor Protection.