Strengths

  • Stakes can improve aesthetics and provide wildlife habitat.
  • Low cost where materials are available.
  • Can be easily installed and maintained on a wide variety of sites.
  • Can enhance the performance of surface erosion control materials.
  • Create favourable conditions for natural colonization of vegetation from the surrounding plant community.
  • Stabilize intervening areas between other soil bioengineering techniques.

Limitation

  • Live staking must be carried out during their dormancy (late fall to early spring).
  • Should be employed before severe erosion problems occur.
  • Must be handled properly to avoid drying or exposure to heat.
  • Not applicable for slopes greater than 2:1.
  • Should not be used if immediate stabilization is required.

Live staking

Application: Bridges, canals, drainage, dykes, embankments, roads, footpaths, wastewater treatment plants

Description: Live staking is the placement of woody plant and tree cuttings (e.g. willow and cottonwood) on a graded streambank to grow, stabilize the streambank and control minor or shallow erosion by the formation of a root network and above-ground brush. It also is used as a means of securing other soil-bioengineered structures or erosion control measures such as fascines and brush mattresses to the ground. The added advantage of using a live stake to secure a treatment lies in the extra plant growth that the stake will provide.

Contribution to climate resilience: Live stakes reduce erosion by stabilizing the streambank through physical reinforcement and formation of a root network. By these means, they increase the resilience of streambanks to extreme climatic events. Because they are developed using local labour and locally available materials, they require less energy to produce, are far more sustainable, and can be applied quickly. If planned properly and planted at the right time, live staking can be valuable in preparing for likely changes in climate.

Supplementary sources of information:

http://www.ernstseed.com/products/bioengineering/live-stakes-and-whips/

https://www.nswa.ab.ca/sites/default/files/Lives%20staking%20%26%20joint%20planting.pdf

http://www.ontariostreams.on.ca/PDF/OSRM/Tech8.pdf

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/permits_ej_operations_pdf/stabiltechguid.pdf

https://www.landandwater.com/features/vol52no2/vol52no2_2.html

Background image credit: ICEM

This resilience-building measure is sourced from the Water Resource Adaptation Guide (2019) published by the National Council for Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Environment in Cambodia. The full Guide is available to download at URL https://ncsd.moe.gov.kh/sites/default/files/2019-10/Water%20Resources%20Adaptation%20Guide_March%202019_En.pdf