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Flooding is a natural phenomenon that affects most parts of the world on a regular basis. While flooding can cause damage and destruction, restoration efforts such as floodplain restoration can reap a variety of benefits for a region. Restoration can improve the health of water resources, recharge aquifers, reduce flooding risk, improve recreational opportunities, and more. To highlight the importance of floodplain restoration, let’s take a look at the benefits of floodplain restoration near you.

First and foremost, floodplain restoration significantly reduce flooding risks. This is accomplished by recreating natural functions of a floodplain that can help slow down and disperse storm water before it reaches populated areas or structures. Restoring a floodplain allows the water to infiltrate the soil more readily, instead of rushing over the land into creeks and rivers. These infiltration endeavors reduce the likelihood of flooding by reducing the speed at which the water flows downstream, giving time for creeks, rivers, and streams to slowly adjust to the influx of water.

Floodplain restoration can also drastically improve water quality in an area, reducing for example sediment and nutrient runoff into creeks and rivers. Restoration efforts can restore the natural vegetation and sediment retention capacities of the floodplain, leading to significant improvements in water health. This is an added benefit since the health of our water supply is essential for people, wildlife, and the environment.

Another great benefit of floodplain restoration is that it can open up the area to a variety of recreational opportunities for the locals. The area can be utilized as an outdoor learning or educational area, for outdoor sports and activities, for wildlife viewing, and more. Allowing people to engage with nature is a great way to encourage respect and appreciation of local habitat, making it a great conservation opportunity in itself.

Finally, floodplain restoration near you can also improve the local economy. Floodplain restoration can add significant value to an area by increasing the availability of natural resources, improving water quality, and the restoration of wetlands. Wetland restoration, for example, can reduce agricultural runoff and create better habitat for wildlife, while also providing better fishing and hunting opportunities - improvements that can attract visitors and boost local economies in the process.

Flooding can create significant destruction, but with the proper restoration efforts in place, a lot of good can come of it. We have seen how floodplain restoration can reduce flooding risk, improve water quality, open up recreational opportunities, and improve local economic presence - all key benefits that can make a real difference in the lives of people and the environment near you.