WHAT IS A RIPARIAN BUFFER?
A riparian buffer is a vegetated “buffer-strip” near a stream, which helps to shade and partially protect the stream from the impact of adjacent urban or agricultural land use. It plays a key role in increasing water quality in associated streams, rivers and lakes and provides a greatly enhanced and varied habitat for wildlife.
STREAM BENEFITS
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The Riparian buffer reduces flooding and erosion while stabilizing the stream bank.
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Trees, shrubs and plants provide root systems that improve water quality by intercepting sediment, filtering pollution and nutrient run-off from roadways, fields and yards.
WILDLIFE BENEFITS
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Shade on the water keeps the temperatures cooler for fish, crayfish, and aquatic insects.
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Organic material from the trees and shrubs provide food for aquatic insects, which in turn provide food for fish, amphibians, and birds.
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Branches falling into the stream provide structure as well as hiding places for small fish and insects.
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Bats forage for insects near the water.
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Birds use over-hanging branches to forage for fish.