Background
Faced with regulatory uncertainty, many landowners wanting to manage streambank erosion on their property without a permit have instead chosen not to take action, thereby risking further degradation due to erosion. Efforts are underway in collaboration with state and federal agency officials to promote streambank management practices that are conducive to minimal agency oversight.
Status
In February 2020, officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Missouri Department of Natural Resources, along with Congressional staff, toured potential sites identified by MOFB for a pilot project. Once the project is approved, it would test and demonstrate erosion management practices that landowners can do on their own to stabilize streambanks.
MOFB Policy
Many streams in Missouri have an excessive load of gravel and vegetation growing in the stream channel accelerating streambank erosion and reducing fish habitat by decreasing the water pool. We favor the modification of current agency guidelines to make it easier to remove gravel and vegetation from streams and to use that material to repair streambank erosion sites.
