This paper presents the morphodynamic effects of riparian vegetation growth in a lowland restored stream. Hydrological series, high-resolution bathymetric data and aerial photographs are combined in the study. The vegetation root system was found to assert a strong control on soil stabilization, even during the winter season when plants are dead or degraded. Seasonal variations in plant biomass appear important only during the first stages of establishment, when vegetation has a low density and, more importantly, a root system that is not fully developed yet.@en