Geologic Publications for Mount Rainier

Best practices for managing bank erosion within the National Park Service and National Wild and Scenic River System

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Author(s): John J. Field, Christina M. Leonard, Derek M. Schook, James M. MacCartney, Susannah O. Erwin

Category: PUBLICATION
Document Type: Science Report NPS/SR—2025/234
Publisher: National Park Service
Published Year: 2025
Volume:
Number:
Pages: 131
DOI Identifier: 10.36967/2306106
ISBN Identifier:
Keywords:

Abstract:
Riverbank erosion is a natural process that occurs as rivers adjust to disturbance events and to changes in water and sediment delivery over time. The resulting lateral movement of river channels is fundamental to building complex, dynamic, and resilient landscapes. In this sense, bank erosion is crucial to creating healthy rivers and should be preserved whenever possible. However, river managers may deem protection from bank erosion necessary if bank retreat threatens infrastructure, developed land, or other valuable natural and cultural resources. The National Park Service manages over 220,000 miles of rivers, approximately 3,750 of which are part of the National Wild and Scenic River System, encompassing various climatic, geological, watershed, and land use settings. These rivers have unique protections granted under National Park Service policies and the Wild and Scenic River Act, which require any action taken to mitigate bank erosion must minimize impacts to natural processes and river health. This document provides river managers with guidance and tools to ensure that bank erosion management aligns with the protections granted to Wild and Scenic Rivers and rivers managed by the National Park Service. River managers should reference this document during the project conceptual design phase to steer bank erosion management practices toward techniques that maintain the ecological and geomorphic functions of rivers. When evaluating a bank erosion issue, managers are encouraged to determine if erosion can be allowed to continue unimpeded or if offsite measures can be undertaken to slow the rate of bank retreat. A variety of surface treatments and flow deflection treatments are described for situations in which on-site bank protection is deemed necessary. Deformable treatments and those using organic materials, such as live vegetation or logs, are generally favored over those using inert materials, such as concrete and rock riprap.

View Report:
View Report [External Link]

Suggested Citations:
In Text Citation:
Field and others (2025) or (Field et al., 2025)

References Citation:
Field, J.J., C.M. Leonard, D.M. Schook, J.M. MacCartney, and S.O. Erwin, 2025, Best practices for managing bank erosion within the National Park Service and National Wild and Scenic River System: Science Report NPS/SR—2025/234, National Park Service, 131 p., doi: 10.36967/2306106.