While those efforts have been confined to several thousand feet of streambanks in the county, the potential is endless. The mountainous county is marked by steep slopes that can quickly pour water into its fast-flowing streams. Land that has been cleared for development, farming or roads pours even more water into the streams. That compounded the damage caused by the storms in the last 18 months. The result is on display in Cumberland, the county seat, where photos in many businesses and museums document the extent of the area's flood damage.
Live stakes are willow branches cut into lengths of one or two feet.
They are driven into the ground like a stake, but over time, the stake will sprout into a bank-stabilizing tree. In some places, rock weirs are built into streams. In addition, they can steer water flow toward the middle of the stream, keeping the erosive power away from vulnerable banks. Other tools include logs of coconut fibers which resist rot and, when staked at the edge of the stream, absorb much of the erosive force of the water, giving newly planted vegetation a chance to take root. Other materials, such as clumps of woody brush and tangled masses of roots salvaged from dead trees are also used to buffer streambanks.