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cecilia-beesley
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The role of tree planting in Watershed Restoration Floodplain restoration along with the control of
upland pollution and stable stream channels are the critical elements to restore our watersheds
Tree planting connects citizens to the environment Without floodplain restoration, our streams are not
capable of supporting a diverse aquatic ecosystem Idea of a green ribbon throughout our urban
environment
Trees have direct benefit on water pollution Conversion of each acre of floodplain area back to
forest provides substantial water quality improvement:
Sediment loss is reduced from 0.7 tons per year to 0.05 (93% reduction)
Phosphorus is reduced from 0.7 lbs/year to 0.3 lbs per year (57% reduction)
Storm water converted to ground water is increased by 300% (infiltration)
Woody Debris provided to the creek is the foundation of the aquatic ecosystem Aquatic insects called ‘shredders’ use the woody
debris contributed by trees as an energy source Other insects and fish eat the shredders Woody debris also provides in-stream structure
Downstream of tree trunks deep water pools form - giving a haven to cool water loving fish
Root wads on stream banks provide habitat for aquatic insects and hiding places for juvenile fish
Trees promote ground water recharge Roots encourage infiltration of rain (reducing
runoff) Infiltration supplies streams with water during dry
weather
Trees anchor the sediment Impacts from erosion of the land surface and
stream channel are among the greatest challenges to the restoration of water quality in Mecklenburg
Tree canopy slows rainfall reducing the erosive force of storms
Roots anchor the soil and provide secondary porosity (pathways) for infiltration of storm water
Sunset Beach, NC
Ocean Isle Beach, NC
Connecting Citizens to the Environment Tree planting is likely the most pro-active
initiative the average citizen can do to improve the environment
Young people love to plant trees and watch them grow
Many (my children included) have planted trees at their homes
Creek ReLeaf has trained thousands of future arborists! Without re-forestation of our floodplains we will
not achieve supporting aquatic ecosystems