Same in Australia. A country town I worked in consulted local Aboriginal elders to find how to make the creeks and springs operate like they did before European settlement. People thought the creek was a lost cause and impossible to fix. They grew a lot of "weeds" on the banks that farmers were angry about, that were actually indigenous greenery. These weeds stabilised the banks, and improved the soil quality.

Their theories were similar to this, lots of spots where the water can slow down, shade to reduce evaporation and protection of the banks. It was amazing seeing a creek come back, as it once was, and what it will always will be.