Photo from Jacob Peterson at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9d2a3e4184ac4279a20cef5346c0de1d
Restoring riparian zones is essential to the health of urban streams. A healthy riparian zone can help reduce in-stream temperature, provide nutrients and energy, and naturally filter water runoff and pollutants. Although funding salmon restoration programs can provide species-specific care, restoration supporting riparian zones supports local ecosystems and provides habitats for both salmonids and other aquatic organisms. Through small changes like the removal of invasive plant species or creating riparian vegetation planting committees we can see large improvements in water quality, therefore, the health of riparian vegetation should be highly prioritized when considering restoration of the watershed.