The deposited material forms a good seed bed in which the seeds of river trees such as cottonwood and sycamore can sprout and grow. The resulting trees spread roots throughout the revetment and streambank. By the time the revetment trees have decayed, the bank should be stabilized by the roots of the living trees. Contact the Corps of Engineers or the Missouri Department of Conservation to find out if you need a permit before doing any work on a stream. For this reason, eastern redcedar is usually the best choice.
Cedar trees have the added advantage of good resistance to decay.
Trees growing in uncrowded conditions are usually the best choice because their branches are denser. When growing in close competition with other trees, even cedars can have sparse tops. Tree size is important. The diameter of the tree's crown should be about two-thirds the height of the eroding bank. A large tree covers more bank than a small one and isn't much more difficult to move into place.