Stream bank restoration in mind for Shades Creek, Cahaba River

Parks are meant to be enjoyed. People are encouraged to walk through them, spend some time outside and reconnect both with themselves and what is around them. But after hundreds, or thousands, of individuals walk the same path — and one that may not have originally been there — it can take a toll on nature itself.

It’s something that can be seen in Jemison Park, where over the years both Mother Nature and park-goers have had a hand in stream bank erosion. 

Elizabeth Sims, conservation programs director of the Freshwater Land Trust, said the erosion is something that naturally occurs around the bends of rivers and streams and from weather. But when people continually walk the banks to access the water, it can exacerbate the erosion and keep plants from growing.

The plants are what help absorb water during any type of flooding, so when those are taken out of the equation, there is a greater chance of water damage. 

To address current and potential problems, members of the city of Mountain Brook, Friends of Jemison Park, Friends of Shades Creek, Cahaba Riverkeeper, Freshwater Land Trust and Father Nature Landscapes met July 11 in Jemison Park to create a course of action.

While it may seem easy to go in and put a bunch of plants in the ground, the groups want to work together so it is done correctly. 

Because there are many invasive plant species in Alabama, some of which are in Jemison Park, the aim is to have native plants take root at the time of year that will yield the highest success rate. The native species then offer a habitat for native insects, which in turn benefits the ecosystem as a whole.

Sim Johnson, president of Friends of Jemison Park and chair of Mountain Brook’s Board of Landscape Design, also mentioned there’s been a decrease in biodiversity in Jemison Park and along the creek simply because of maintenance over the years. He suggested putting together a “minimalistic list” of native species in the area that cities and individuals could use that would encourage the planting of species meant to thrive in certain areas.

Department of Parks and Recreation Director Shanda Williams also spoke about removing the existing invasive species in the park, which has to be done incrementally due to the size of the park and nature of the plants.

But, Riverkeeper David Butler said, “You don’t want to remove things without replacing them.” It’s best to put something in the removed plants’ place — native to the area — to help deal with any rising waters and encourage ecosystem growth.

To help tackle the plight of bank erosion, Butler mentioned he is working on a study to identify areas of erosion on the Cahaba based on severity, so cities will know what should be dealt with first. He said the study should be completed in September and available to share with cities.

Butler also said that when dealing with downed trees along the bank — which can cause heavy erosion in some areas — they have found success in cutting up the trees and putting them against the bank for stabilization. Over time, sticks, silt and other remnants will fill the gaps between the logs and the bank, which can help build the area back up to size.

Johnson said a big factor of stream bank restoration and maintenance is helping people become educated about what is helpful and what is harmful. He hopes other nearby communities will help with the restoration and is working with other organizations to put together a national database of native plant species to help communities and individuals make good planting decisions.

“So when you say ‘What is native?,’ it’s all agreed upon,” he said.

After the meeting, both Williams and Sims said eventually, they would like to add direct access points, such as stairs, along Shades Creek in Jemison Park so people are able to get to the water without wearing down on the banks and surrounding plants.