Nature-Based Solutions

Stream Restoration Crumbling banks along Missouri’s streams and rivers destroy fish habitats, overtax water treatment facilities and cost property owners huge chunks of land. TNC has partnered in recent years on multiple major bioengineered restorations throughout the state. That includes LaBarque Creek, a biodiverse tributary to the Meramec River and home to more than 50 species of fish. Crews rebuilt a rapidly eroding bank with trees, root wads, natural fibers and live plantings.

Huzzah Creek after restoration © Steve Herrington/TNC

Similarly, TNC restored 1,650 feet of streambank along Elk River in McDonald County, where a landowner was losing 8,000 tons of soil annually to erosion. In St. Louis County, TNC has worked with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Missouri State Parks to stabilize Kiefer Creek in Castlewood State Park—a popular hiking destination and a perfect showcase, where people can see nature-based solutions in action. In the Huzzah Creek watershed, an ecologically and economically significant drainage in the Meramec River Basin, TNC is working with landowners on stream restoration projects to stop erosion, enhance habitat for fish and wildlife, and keep their private land from washing away. Mississippi River and Meramec River Floodplain Prioritization Tools Floodplains are one of our greatest defenses against the effects of a changing climate. They can help protect against increasingly frequent flooding, filter water heading into rivers and provide habitat for wildlife. In 2019, The Nature Conservancy and its partners released the Floodplain Prioritization Tool to give decision- makers access to data they can use to smartly manage floodplains throughout the Mississippi River Basin. The tool includes data that wasn’t previously available publicly and allows users to set parameters and customize filters to fit their needs. It is free and easy to access through a dedicated website. The tool is designed to help planners, public officials, land trusts, businesses and others see where they can best invest in protecting and restoring floodplains. A related site for the Meramec River Basin pilots using the data to

manage the lower Meramec. Low-water Crossings

Scores of different species of fish that inhabit Shoal Creek will once again be able to swim freely through the crucial Ozarks stream after The Nature Conservancy and its partners replace three low-water crossings with free-span bridges. TNC has assessed dozens of such crossings, which are roads that cut through streams and creeks, in recent years with officials in southwest Missouri to determine priorities and inform grant applications. Low-water crossings create roadblocks for fish, cutting them off from habitat, food and their spawning grounds. And they’re not much better for humans. Rising waters easily top the crossings, making them dangerous for drivers and isolating communities during floods. The new bridges have been made possible through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and collaboration between TNC, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Barry County Commission. As a model for future projects, the bridges will let water and wildlife flow freely underneath while creating a safer path above for people.

nature.org/mosolutions

Learn more at nature.org/mosolutions

v1.25.23

Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker