January 2000 Land along rivers, lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands are magnets for a great many wildlife species. The term we use for these areas is riparian, meaning of, on, or pertaining to the bank of a natural course of water. The Latin word riparius means bank.
Riparian areas are part of the continuum from water to upland.
The boundaries of riparian habitats are not easily defined and vary in width according to the size and type of water body. In general, wildlife's dependence on food, cover and water in riparian habitats extends almost one thousand feet away from the water's edge. This is about one fifth of a mile. Water, a requirement for survival, attracts wildlife. Also, the presence of water contributes to more plant growth, faster growth, and a greater diversity of plant species than occur on drier sites.