Reasons for stream protection ~ STORies & PICTUREs explain
People want to live near water. Although building a home right next to a stream may be a ‘dream come true’ for some—problems can arise. To better understand the problems associated with locating your home too close to a stream, hear about the problems from a Montana landowner in our video, Falling for the Creek, or view these dramatic photos:
Go Back to Protection Through Local Land Use Planning - Overview of Tools Available
NEW VIDEO: Falling for the Creek
Learn what one Bitterroot resident discovered when he built his home too close to a stream…
Watch this 4-minute NOW:
Falling for the Creek (MT Audubon) from Conservation Media on Vimeo.
This film was produced with funds from TogetherGreen, a project of the National Audubon Society and Toyota. Janet Ellis, Montana Audubon's program director was a 2009 TogetherGreen Fellow.
For Your Viewing Pleasure:
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To view a "HD" (High Definition) version of this movie, visit Conservation Media.
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For a free DVD of this film, email Janet.
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If you are having trouble viewing here or on the Conservation Media website, here's a tip: hit play to trigger the video to buffer, hit pause and allow film to buffer completely (indicated by the gray bar crossing completely) then hit play again.
Pictures Are Worth 1000 Words
We are developing a library of pictures that can be used by citizens and local governments to illustrate the reasons stream setbacks should be adopted. The pictures illustrate various problems that arise when homes and infrastructure are built too close to streams and rivers. A catalog of some of these pictures is available. To see a sample of the photographs available, download a catalog HERE > >.
0N LEFT: House on East Gallatin River that flooded in 1996 (file photo from DNRC). ON RIGHT: House on Big Hole River built in 2009 (photo by Jack Kirkley).
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
As more and more people choose to build homes next to Montana’s streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds, and as property values increase, the pressures to develop these areas are increasing—often to the detriment of the very qualities that attracted buyers in the first place. Many of the impacts to these areas can be avoided by land use planning decisions made at the local level.
For more information on tools to protect wetlands and riparian areas, check out these other sources of information:
- Planning Handbook: A Planning Guide for Protecting Montana’s Wetlands and Riparian Areas
- Science Publications: The Need for Vegetative Buffers along Streams
- Local Government Regulations Adopted in Montana
- Stream Setbacks: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
- Lessons Learned from Missoula and Flathead Counties, Montana
- Public Health and Safety Issues
- Streams and Bank Stabilization