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What
is a riparian buffer? |
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Riparian buffers have a wide
variety of benefits ranging from improving water quality to
absorbing noise from lake activity. The best buffers have a
variety of vegetation including grasses, trees and shrubs and
are least 30 feet wide. |
Riparian buffers are strips of
land (up to 300 feet wide) bordering streams, lakes, and other
bodies of water. The most functional riparian buffers are
vegetated with a variety of native plants, including trees and
shrubs. |
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Why are riparian buffers
important? |
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Benefits derived from vegetated riparian buffers, especially
forested buffers, include: filtering pollution from runoff;
trapping excess soil and taking up nutrients; shading the water,
keeping water temperatures cooler; acting like a sponge, soaking
up rainwater, reducing flooding down-stream and recharging
groundwater; helping prevent erosion and loss of land; providing
food and shelter for wildlife; absorbing noise from waterfront
activity; and providing privacy and shade for picnicking and
fishing.
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The following list provides more detail about some of the
primary functions riparian buffers provide in the landscape:
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Trap
sediment and take up nutrients.
Sediment
that is filtered out of runoff from upland areas often
carries contaminants that can be harmful to aquatic life and
impair water quality. The soil also contains nutrients,
excess concentrations of which can cause water quality and
ecological health problems in the receiving waters.
Riparian buffers can often break down these pollutants while
utilizing the sediment and nutrients to improve soil
conditions.
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Protect
and maintain stream banks.
Root mass
from woody vegetation present in buffers helps to reduce
soil loss from erosion along lake shorelines and stream
banks. Vegetation from riparian buffers can also work in
concert with stream channel functions to create new stream
bank, balancing what erosion does occur within the stream
channel.
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Water
storage and energy dissipation.
Riparian
buffers can reduce damage to property during flood events by
slowing floodwaters. The root mass present in riparian
buffers also promotes the absorption of water and helps to
recharge nearby aquifers. Riparian buffers play an
important role in regulating surface water flows by helping
to hold and slowly release water following storm events.
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Reduce
Nonpoint Source Pollution.
As noted in the first bullet, riparian buffers can filter
various pathogens, pollutants and nutrients that are found
in stormwater runoff. Often times, nutrients can be taken
up by vegetation within the riparian area, which can promote
additional vegetation in the buffer. This vegetation in
turn can be used to process other potential pollutants
before they enter the adjacent waterbody.
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Provide
wildlife habitat. Riparian
buffers offer a variety of
mechanisms for habitat enhancement of both aquatic organisms
and terrestrial wildlife. Areas where riparian buffers are
intact can host a multitude of different organisms. When
connected to other buffers and habitats, riparian areas can
serve as corridors for the movement and distribution of
wildlife. The continual cycle of nutrient uptake and
recycling of compounds trapped aids in the diversity of
vegetation present in the buffer and also helps create a
varied age-class structure for vegetation present which in
turn affects habitat features and organisms present in the
buffer
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How can one create or enhance
riparian buffers? |
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There are many resources
that can help guide you through
the process of developing a healthy riparian zone on your
property. Below are the steps you can take to get started, as
well as some links to more resources.
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Create or obtain a
site plan for your property.
This is an aerial view drawing that includes all structures,
driveways, paved areas, property lines, creeks, ponds or
lakes.
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Locate
and mark all utility lines and
other infrastructure, including septic system field lines.
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Locate and mark
all natural features such as
trees and shrubs, lawns, hills, gullies and wetland areas.
Identify specific plants you may want to encourage that are
already growing in the riparian zone, and take note of any
existing problem areas such as exposed stream banks. A good
field guide can help you identify the plants growing on your
property.
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Not everyone finds the most
functional riparian buffers (like the one pictured above)
aesthetically appealing. However, any amount of woody
vegetation, even if it is a more managed landscape, is better
than grass alone |
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Locate and mark north,
south, east and west, and note
natural light patterns as they change throughout the day.
The amount of sunlight an area gets will affect how quickly
it dries out after rain and what types of plants will be
best suited to the site. Generally, plants that prefer full
sun should receive at least 8 hours of direct sunlight each
day. Those that grow well in partial shade should receive 3
to 6 hours of direct sunlight, while those that prefer full
shade should get less than 3 hours of sunlight.
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Watch and note
wildlife
that you observe on your property. A healthy riparian
landscape is home to a wide range of birds, mammals,
amphibians, reptiles and insects. Keeping a log of animals
you see is an easy way of documenting how successful your
efforts have been to restore or maintain the riparian area
on your property. The online catalog at
http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/
is a user-friendly tool for identifying animal species in
North America.
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Note the
moisture conditions on your
property, keeping track of any localized wet areas such
springs, seeps and marshes.
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View surrounding
property, and consider your
neighbors landscape in your own plan. You may want to
screen some areas and frame others, and this can influence
which plants you should use for each site. Observing other
people’s property where there are similar conditions to
yours can also give you ideas for your own project. Take
note of what plants are doing well and consider working
these in to your plan.
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If you live on
a lake shoreline, keep in mind
that there may be a strip of public land between your
property and the water, and in these cases you may need to
get a permit from the managing agency (e.g. Tennessee Valley
Authority) before planting trees and shrubs or removing
brush.
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Determine
whether or not you have
invasive plant species growing on your property. Several
excellent guides to invasive plants are available from the
Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition office and through the
U.S. Forest Service. If you have many invasive plants that
will need to be removed, technical assistance is available
from your local cooperative extension office. [See below
for contact information.]
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Try to find native plants that fit your landscaping needs.
Native
plant publications are available for
free download from the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition’s
web site:
http://www.hrwc.net/publications.htm
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Why use native plants rather
than ornamentals? |
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Native plants
are already
adapted to the area. They are hardy and generally withstand
local weather and soil conditions. As a result, they often
require less ongoing maintenance, including watering. Native
plants are naturally resistant to insect pests and diseases and
by planting them you are helping prevent establishment and
spread of invasive non-native plants. Plants that are found
here inspire a “sense of place” and pride in our mountain
communities and promote wise stewardship and conservation of
natural resources. We have a wide variety of beautiful native
trees and shrubs. HRWC’s restoration coordinator is more than
willing to help you find a native plant to fit your needs. [See
below for contact information.] |
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