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You Know & Love
 the Big Wood River.Your Choices Can Protect ItsFuture and Your Property
Get to Know Your Closest Neighbor 
 A Guide for floodplAin Homeowners
 
A foodplain
is the at land alonga stream or river. Floodplains areoten flled by water during springruno or other high water events.
A foodway
is the channelthrough which the majority o aood’s waters move.
The riparian
area is a transitionalarea between land and waterecosystems, such as the areaadjacent to a river. Riparian areas,though small in size, provide a largepercentage o the wildlie habitator birds, moose, deer, ox, and otherspecies throughout the year.
Understandingthe Floodplain
Photos provided by Conservation Seeding and Restoration, Inc. unless otherwise noted.
The Big Wood River’s oodplain is home to unique andimportant plants and wildlie. You have likely seen elk,moose, ox, and a variety o birds along the river; youmay even fsh rom your own backyard. As a oodplainhomeowner, you experience the beauty and uniquequalities o the area frst-hand.The natural processes that make the river such a desirableneighbor—the sound o rushing water, the wildlie itattracts, and the lush plant lie it nurtures—may also leadto ooding and bank erosion that can damage privateproperty in the oodplain. Your actions can protect yourproperty while preserving important aspects o the river’snatural unctions. One o the best ways to protect yourhome and the river is to use native landscaping.This brochure provides inormation about the importanceo the oodplain’s unction in our valley and describes howthe use o native landscaping can protect your propertyand the oodplain
The Big Wood River 
FloodplainRiparian area
The NaturalRiver 
has many components thatcontribute toits health.
FloodwayRiver Channel
Riparian setbacks
are buildingsetbacks defned by local govern-ments that create a buer zone toprotect plants and animals livingalong the river as well as the riveritsel; setbacks also help protectproperty rom ooding.
Sheet fooding,
the shallow, slow-moving water that occurs duringhigh ows, is a healthy oodplainoccurrence. Floodplain homeown-ers should be prepared to protecthomes and other structures byplacing sandbags or ood bladderswithin 5-10 eet o the structure.These saeguards should not restrictsheet ooding that occurs duringspring’s high water.
Waterfront property:
These homes are sited closerto the river, and nativevegetation has been clearedor lawns going up to theriver’s edge. These practicescan require expensive,artifcial bank reinorcementto protect property romerosion and ooding and donot protect wildlie or theriparian area.
River-friendly waterfront property:
 
Siting homes urther away rom the river’sedge and leaving native trees and plantson the banks lessens these homes’ impacton the river. It also protects homes romhigh water and protects habitat or elk,moose, birds, and other species.
 
 Native landscaping is beautiul and attracts an array o birds,insects, and wildlie. Once established, native plants useless water and require less maintenance than non-nativeplants. They also help protect against ood risks by slowinghigh ows and stabilizing river banks. Native landscaping isimportant both inside and outside the oodplain. While some steps towards native landscaping in the oodplaintake planning, others can be implemented easily and withlittle expense. Native plants preserve the land’s health,beautiy your property, and are hardy and easy to maintain.
Native Landscaping
Three Examples o How to Use Native Vegetation:
 Bank stabilizers for use along the river and in the20 feet beyond the river’s high water mark
*
:
Coyote willow, River birch, Bog birch, Redosierdogwood, Chokecherry, Streambank wheatgrass
 For use in the 20-40 feet beyond the stream bank
*
:
Booth willow, Geyers willow, Aspen, Alder-leaedbuckthorn, Gooseberries, Currants, Elderberry,Serviceberry, Snowberry, Lewis’ mockorange
 For use as ground cover
*
:
Meadow oxtail, Idaho escue,Bluebunch wheatgrass, Rocky Mountain iris, Asters,Bluebells, Western valerian, Sticky geranium, Creepingpotentilla, Yellow monkey ower, Columbine
s
1
s
 2 
s
 3
Benefts to Birds and Insects:
in addtn t beng beautu andw-mantenance, natve andscapngas attracts nsects, brds, and wde. ows, dragnys, andbutterys are a part  a heathy pant/rver reatnshp.
* Contact riparian experts or environmental consultants to determinethe best site-specifc plantings or your property.
Resources or Floodplain Living:
• Conservation Seeding
& Restoration, Inc.
• Blaine Soil Conservation District• Sawtooth Botanical Gardens• Hailey Nursery• Webb, employee owned
Color 
 & 
Texture 
CottonwoodsCottonwoods
SodWoods Rose
Redosier Dogwood
WillowsSedgesWillows
Native fowers
100 year food
Annual spring rise
Low water level
This home’s native landscaping oers river access and increased food protection.
   P   h  o   t  o  :   R  o   b  e  r   t   H .   M  o   h   l  e  n   b  r  o  c   k   U   S   D   A  -   N   R   C   S   P   L   A   N   T   S   D  a   t  a   b  a  s  e
top: Cinquioil, Columbine middle: Redosier dogwood bottom: Phlox 
   P   h  o   t  o  :   J  e  r  r  y   W .   B  r   i   t   t  o  n
For more inormation or acomplete list o recommendedplants to use in the oodplain, contactWood River Land Trust at 788-3947 orgo to www.woodriverlandtrust.org.Remember to contact your localgovernment to learn the specifcriparian setback requirements and otherregulations that apply to your propertybeore adding or restoring decks, yards,structures, landscaping, or building anew home.
Budng setback nt drawn t scae.
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