Visual Habitat Assessment Question 8/10 Bank Stability
Visual Habitat Assessment Question 8/10
Bank Stability - High Gradient Streams
Rapid Bioassessment Visual Physical Habitat Assessment
www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/swamp/docs/cwt/guidance/4222.pdf
Measures whether the stream banks are eroded (or have the potential for erosion). Steep banks are more likely to collapse and suffer from erosion than are gently sloping banks, and are therefore considered to be unstable. Signs of erosion include crumbling, unvegetated banks, exposed tree roots, and exposed soil. Eroded banks indicate a problem of sediment movement and deposition, and suggest a scarcity of cover and organic input to streams. Each bank is evaluated separately and the cumulative score (right and left) is used for this parameter.