Working together to protect our natural resources.
So you live on a stream‌
This is a publication of the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District in conjunction with Glenn-Gibson Creeks Watershed Council, Rickreall Watershed Council, G r e a t e r Yamhill Basin Watershed Council and Luckiamute Watershed Council. Please contact the District or your Watershed Council for more information about native and nonnative plants. Â Contacts:
Polk SWCD: 503-623-9680 x 5 Glenn-Gibson Creeks WC: 503-362-6860
Luckiamute WC: 503-837-0237 Rickreall WC: 503-623-9680 x 104 Greater Yamhill Basin: 503-474-1047
Do you know how to take care of it? The Polk SWCD is a equal opportunity provider and employer.
What Can You Do?
What i s a Healthy Stream?
A healthy stream is made of riffles and pools in a meandering streambed and a riparian corridor. The riparian c o r r i d o r is the area along each side of the stream.
• Avoid planting lawn and non-native p l a n t s along the stream.
Bad:
Invasive riparian p l a n t s of Polk County include Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, Scot's (Scotch) broom, reed canary grass and poison hemlock.
• Plant native shrubs and trees.
• Remove non-native invasive plants.
• Limit use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
Riparian
Upland
Knowing Good From Bad
Scotch Broom Himalayan Blackberry
Good:
Stream What Native Riparian Plants Do:
• Shade the water a nd keep it cool for fish and other aquatic life.
Native riparian p l a n t s of Polk County include ash, alder, cottonwood, vine maple, red elderberry, willows, service berry, nine bark & red-twig dogwood. The Polk Soil and Water Conservation District can provide you with lists of desirable native plants that thrive in our area and information on how to obtain them.
• Filter surface and subsurface water f l o w i n g into the stream, cleaning it of polluting chemicals and sediments.
• Reduce stream bank and soil erosion.
Vine Maple
• Provide b a n k stability and wildlife habitat.
Garden Chemicals
Garden chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides) harm wildlife and water quality. It may take a combination of mechanical, biological, and chemical means to rid your yard of invasive plants. If chemicals are needed, choose only products approved for use near waterways.
• Minimize sediment flow i n t o the stream that can cause aquatic life to suffocate.
Also watch for knapweeds a n d knotweeds, spurge, tansy ragwort and thistles.
Red Elderberry
For information on eliminating invasive plants and what herbicides to use, consult OSU Extension Services at 503-6238395.