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I'd say, from an aesthetic standpoint gabions should not be used and considered a last resort for slope stabilization. Gabions are typically constructed of "rip rap", what I talked about earlier. This is a pretty typical engineering solution, but does very little ecologically for the river and can substantially degrade the river and adjacent environment due to complex ecological principles I couldnt really get into here.
Also, if you think about it, gabions and the like are very poor way to treat a watercourse as it also inhibits humans and animals from experiencing/touching the water. Gabions should only be used in extreme cases.
If you'd be interested in ecologically sound practices and principles of slope stabilization and ecological design I would look at the book "Design with Nature" by Ian Mcharg. He was/is at the forefront of environmental design and re-creating healthy habitats and ecosystems.
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