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Over and over, rivers teach us that 
her protective clothing of plants 
must never be thoughtlessly 
removed. She refuses to submit to 
the idea that her clothes should be 
tailored into a “nice yard.” 
Instead, she wants us to 
understand her need for what her 
closest human friends call a 
“riparian sponge.” “Riparian” 
describes the meandering zone 
surrounding the riverbanks. These 
areas extend out from normal 
water levels…sometimes so far 
that flood plains mingle with 
foothills. 
In trying to understand a riparian 
sponge, think of the role that 
plants play in keeping our ancient 
river sisters properly clothed. 
Plants too are good teachers, and 
they work closely in tandem with 
the rivers. Those with the highest 
stability are always seen in healthy 
riparian zones. Their deep and 
fibrous multi-functional roots store 
water during times of plenty… 
and slowly release it when times 
of drouth return. Hence the 
“sponge.”
But those roots are also anchoring 
and interlocking with each other, 
with the giant ancient trees, and 
the land itself. During times of 
raging floodwaters, riparian plants 
bind together with the trees to 
hold the banks in place and help 
prevent the land from tearing. 
Close your eyes. 
Picture a wall of water pushing 
over tall, leafy, wide-bladed 
grasses onto the next bunchgrass, 
then onto the next, and so on 
down the riverbank. Rushing 
water lays them down, each 
overlapping the next. Taller 
grasses function exactly like 
shingles on a roof to shed water 
flowing over them. They protect 
the ground from violent, turbulent 
digging. Above them, the 
interlocked bushes and trees are 
surrounded at ground level with 
tall native grasses. Together they 
work as a living shield to protect 
the earth during floods and to slow 
the velocity of the raging torrents. 
This important work cannot be 
done by the ancient trees alone. 
A wide diversity of native plants 
evolved with the river over 
thousands of years. They know 
exactly how to live right here, 
without much extra care. When 
floodwaters recede, riparian plants 
slowly rise back up and life goes 
on. When the water and mud dry 
out, they simply stand back up and 
keep on keepin’ on. 
From time to time, with or without 
healthy riparian areas, large old 
ancient trees may fall and be 
swept down in the raging waters. 
Yet, the rivers have a plan. Big, 
downed wood is but another 
crucial element of her long-term 
health.
She knows what to do. Pushing 
those ancient trees downstream, 
bobbling along the white capped 
Riparian Sponge

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