[Helios]

I have been asked to bid on a project to control creek bank erosion and flooding. The creek is fairly fast moving and temporarily floods the homeowner's yard after a hard rain. The adjacent homes do not have this problem due to topographical differences and, in one case, a retaining wall. (Interestingly, the neighboring retaining wall was built by an engineer several years ago and has caused an eddy which has eroded the bank downstream).

The homeowner asked if I could place boulders along the bank to stop the erosion and prevent flooding. The stated goal is a natural look, i.e. "not a wall." The creek bed is limestone, and the bank features several trees and lots of tangled roots. The section of bank involved is approximately 80' long and the limestone creek bed varies between 1-3' below the bank edge.

Homeowner called the local authorities, who advised she could modify the bank as she saw fit provided the creek was not obstructed. I plan to verify this information myself to be certain.

I think boulders and an appropriate selection of plant material is the solution to this problem, and will achieve the natural look the client is after. That said, I am wary of tinkering with the natural course of the creek-- in particular, I don't want to create a flooding/erosion problem for the neighbors. I am half tempted to consult an engineer before submitting a plan.

Maybe I am over thinking this, but I want to be careful here. In particular, I am looking for suggestions about the type of preparation that can/should be done before placing the stone (or that can be done without causing significant root damage-- the goal is to preserve the existing trees). Any other suggestions/warnings are greatly appreciated as well. Thanks!