This can reduce water supplies that some landowners and wildlife rely on. Increased Flooding - Flooding is a natural occurrence along streams, but channel straightening forces flood waters to be dumped faster on downstream neighbors. Neighboring farms, fields, roads, bridges and other structures can be seriously affected by aggravated flooding and erosion. The soil that erodes contributed to water quality problems. Increases in silt loads and nutrients, changes in water temperature and dissolved oxygen and increases in contaminants attached to soil particles are all aggravated by channel straightening.
Channel straightening destroys habitat in several ways.
Within the stream, sediments smother fish eggs and cover food producing areas. Also, the new channel has a uniform width and depth. Riffles, deep pools, undercut banks and instream cover fish use as homes are eliminated. Streamside homes for deer, turkey, squirrels, otters and other wildlife are also destroyed when trees and shrubs are cleared from the banks of the new channel. It's important to determine what is causing stream problems before trying to solve them.