Using a three-zone buffer system around a stream can dramatically improve water quality. Zone in on this:
Students avidly listen as Tjaden points out the buffer zones around them. (via Robert Tjaden)
When we destroy the ecosystem along a stream, we threaten water quality, displace wildlife, and increase the risk of flooding.
Robert Tjaden of the University of Maryland says that a three-part buffer between the water and adjacent land can help preserve a healthy waterway.
Tjaden: “The three zone buffer does it all.”
In the first zone, trees stabilize the bank and cool the water. A second forested zone provides habitat for wildlife and absorbs contaminants. Finally, a zone of grasses helps slow the flow of rain and run-off.
Every site is different, but three-zone buffers have helped dramatically improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, and can be adapted to a variety of settings.
Hear More:
Robert Tjaden describes important questions to consider before designing a buffer zone for your water.
Get Schooled:
- Read more about streamside forests in this guide from the Pennsylvania DEP
- Learn more about riparian buffer systems from the University of Maryland Extension
- Read about the process of implementing buffer zones from the Superior Watershed Partnership
- Check out the benefits of buffers with this article by the Penn State Extension
The Fine Print:
- This segment was produced with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, and made possible by the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.
