Maintaining and restoring riparian areas provides many benefits:
 

• Breeding habitat for cavity-nesting ducks and songbirds, bees and other pollinators, raptors and ruffed grouse, etc.   You can help enhance the habitat by building and mounting nest boxes, raptor platforms and drumming logs. 

• Tree roots stabilize eroding stream banks, decrease sediment, and absorb nutrients.​

• Falling organic debris provides aquatic food sources.​

• Stream temperatures are moderated by shade cover.​

• Carbon emissions are reduced due to less bare topsoil and through uptake from vegetation.​