Howard Linberger recently shared this report with us:\u00a0 “Riparian Buffer Zones: Functions and Recommended Widths” in the Connecticut Eight Mile Watershed.<\/p>\n
“Riparian buffers are vital elements of watersheds, primarily due to their protection of surface and ground water quality from impacts related to human land use. These vegetated buffers are complex ecosystems that provide food and habitat for unique plant and animal species, and are essential to the mitigation and control of nonpoint source pollution. In fact, the removal of streamside vegetation, primarily for development purposes, has resulted in degraded water resources and diminished value for human consumption, recreation, and industrial use.<\/p>\n
In the Eightmile River watershed, maintenance of riparian buffers in their natural condition has been identified as one of the most effective means of protecting multiple outstanding resource values (ORVs), including water quality, hydrology, unique species and natural communities, and watershed ecosystem function.<\/p>\n
Sedimentation increases turbidity and contributes to rapid siltation of waterbodies, negatively impacting water quality. Increased sediment loads also narrow channel widths and provide substrate for colonization of invasive aquatic plant species. Intact riparian buffers ameliorate these negative impacts by stabilizing streambanks. Roots of riparian vegetation deflect wave action and hold bank soil together. The buffer vegetation also decreases erosional impacts during flood events and prevents undercutting of streambanks.” The entire report can be viewed here. Howard Linberger recently shared this report with us:\u00a0 “Riparian Buffer Zones: Functions and Recommended Widths” in the Connecticut Eight Mile Watershed. “Riparian buffers are vital elements of watersheds, primarily due to their protection of surface and ground water quality from impacts related to human land use. These vegetated buffers are complex ecosystems that provide food […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[202,55,203,205,39],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-riparian-buffers","tag-conservation","tag-creek-buffers","tag-friends-of-bolin-creek","tag-riparian-buffers","tag-water-quality"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
\nRiparian Buffers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"