A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a stream. Plant communities along the river margins are called riparian vegetation, characterized by hydrophilic plants. Riparian zones are significant in ecology, environmental management, and civil engineering because of their role in soil conservation, their biodiversity, and the influence they have on aquatic ecosystems. Riparian zones occur in many forms including grassland, woodland, wetland or even non-vegetative. In some regions the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, or riparian strip are used to characterize a riparian zone. The word "riparian" is derived from Latin ripa, meaning river bank.

Riparian areas are ecosystems that occur along watercourses or water bodies. They are different from surrounding lands because of unique soil and plant characteristics that are strongly influenced by free or unbound water in the soil. Riparian ecosystems occupy the transitional area between the terrestrial (dry) and aquatic (wet) ecosystems. Typical examples would include floodplains, streambanks, lakeshores, and wetlands. Riparian areas may exist within any land use area, such as cropland, hayland, pastureland, rangeland, and forestland.

Although riparian areas constitute only a fraction of the total land area, they are generally more productive in terms of plant and animal species, diversity and biomass than adjacent uplands. It is important to recognize that not all riparian areas have the same potential or react to management in the same way. Therefore, they should be managed according to their unique characteristics.  

The importance of riparian areas is mostly due to their spatial relationship to the landscape. Most riparian features are relatively long and narrow in relation to other landscape features. This spatial relationship provides a great many transition zones. The transition zones are the points at which dry and wet ecosystems interface and are the sites of important exchanges of material and energy in the landscape.

• Sediment Filtering

• Bank Stabilization

• Water Storage and Release

• Aquifer Recharge

A healthy, functioning riparian area and associated uplands dramatically increase benefits such as fish and wildlife habitat, erosion control, forage, late season streamflow, and water quality. Management decisions must be designed with these processes in mind.  

An unhealthy system would have some or all these characteristics:

• Low water table and decreased storage capacity,

• Low forage production

• Little shade-Warm water

• Poor fish habitat-Poor water quality

• Low wildlife habitat diversity

• Little vegetation & roots to help protect and stabilize banks

• Reduced late summer stream flows.

A healthy system would have some or all these characteristics:

• High water table & increased storage capacity

• High forage production

• Good shade-Cool water

• Good fish habitat-Good water quality

• High wildlife habitat diversity

• Vegetation & roots present to protect & stabilize banks,

• Higher late summer stream flows.