If they are not, our occasional heavy rains will wash accumulated pollutants downstream where they can impair fish and wildlife habitat as far as Pyramid Lake. Whether you have a creek, a pond, or a wetland on your property, certain practices can be universally beneficial in safeguarding water quality. Maintain vegetation along streambanks and around other water bodies. Trees, shrubs, and other herbaceous perennial plants along streambanks provide shade to keep water cool. Warm water is detrimental to fish and promotes rapid growth of pond weeds and algae.
Plants provide cover, food, and sediment-free spawning grounds for fish and other aquatic life.
Wildlife of all sizes also need trees and brush for cover and food. Vegetation may protect streambanks from erosion and filters pollutants out of stormwater before they reach the stream. Every water body is important and should be properly protected and managed. Many seemingly insignificant dry washes, creeks, seeps, and springs have an essential role in maintaining the quality of downstream waters. Fence off or otherwise control livestock access to streambanks, ponds, and wetlands to protect them from overgrazing and trampling.