The AA. measured the effect of wet meadow vegetation on the bank strength and failure mechanics of a meandering montane meadow stream, the South Fork of the Kern River at Monache Meadow, in California's Sierra Nevada. Streambanks colonized by wet
graminoid meadows vegetation were on average 5 times stronger than those colonized by dry xeric meadow and scrub vegetation. The measurements show that strength is correlated with vegetation density indicators, including stem counts.