Streambank protection projects have received mixed acceptance by various resource agencies and the public. Responses have often been emotional and the reasons for needed protection overlooked. The U.S.D.A., Soil Conservation Service (SCS) is often caught in the middle of controversy when asked by private landowners to provide designs for proposed streambank protection projects on private lands. SCS is aware of its responsibility to design conservation practices which are environmentally sound as well as economically feasible and sound from an engineering standpoint. Comments by the California Department of Fish and Game after their review of some existing projects and some SCS designs for planned projects caused SCS to propose that habitat conditions for both fish and wildlife be assessed on treated and untreated water courses. During the summer of 1975 biologists representing both the California Department of Fish and Game and SCS assessed 7 projects in Siskiyou and Mendocino Counties. It was generally concluded that when riparian vegetation is established {3 to 5 years after construction) the streambank protection projects assessed had produced positive or beneficial effects on both fish and wildlife. The assessment also resulted in possible design modifications to improve fish habitat.
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