The importance of riparian zones has come under focus recently as the state of freshwater quality in our streams and rivers is declining in many areas. Rural streams where banks have been cleared of vegetation will produce eroding bank edges, murky waters and plenty of algae or weeds in the channel. These effects are mainly caused by sediment and nutrients from the surrounding catchment either by overland flow or infiltration into groundwater which eventually feeds into surface waterways.Sediment input causes many changes to a waterway and has an effect on the fish and invertebrates which live in streams and rivers. During heavy rains soil washes into waterways from landslips with surface flooding and bank edges eroded by flood flows orstock trampling. When enough of this sediment settles on the bed of the stream or river it can smother the cracks and crevices where native fish prefer to hide during the day, and reduce the quality of food for fish and invertebrate life.
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