Definitions for "Riparian Area"
Keywords:  wetland, pond, upland, lake, cottonwood
The zone alongside a stream, lake, or pond that is directly influenced by water. Riparian ecosystems are characterized by a unique and sensitive mix of plants and animals.
Vegetated ecosystems along a waterbody through which energy, materials, and water pass. Riparian areas characteristically have a high water table and are subject to periodic flooding
(3) a form of wetland transition between permanently saturated wetlands and upland ares. Riparian areas exhibit vegetation or physical characteristics that reflect the influence of permanent surface or subsurface water. Typical riparian areas include lands along, adjacent to, or contiguous with perennially and intermittently flowing rivers and streams, glacial potholes, and the shores of lakes and reservoirs with stable water levels. Excluded are ephemeral streams or washes that lack vegetation and depend on free water in the soil.