Science Says Forest Lands Key to Water Quality
At the end of November we offered questions and concerns about Riparian and Wetland Buffers for Water-Quality Protection: A Review of Current Literature, an article that was published in the November issue of Stormwater Magazine. This week we offer other views on Riparian Buffers.
From the Stroud Water Research Center…
Stroud reports that the single most important factor in determining the quality of a stream’s water is the amount of forested land in its watershed. In 2008, the Stroud Water Research Center published Protecting Headwaters: The Scientific Basis for Safeguarding Stream and River Ecosystems. Although the focus is on headwater streams, the piece discusses forest buffers and how they provide many in-stream benefits including pollutant control, maintaining temperature control, providing food resources and habitat for aquatic organisms, and assisting in bank stabilization. Click here for an executive summary or here for the full narrative.
From the Pennsylvania Campaign for Clean Water…
Pennsylvania Campaign for Clean Water has published its own platform on Proposed Buffer Requirements for Pennsylvania. Read a summary of select studies reporting percentage of pollutant reductions based on buffer size. Recommended is a minimum 100-foot buffer on all streams with additional buffer width for Special Protection waters, steep slopes, and more recently, headwaters, and impaired waters. For the full Riparian Buffer Platform, click here.
