BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: RIPARIAN AREAS & BUFFERS Rowan J. Baker, fish biologist (ret.) I.
Introduction And Relationship Between Riparian Areas And Water Quality
Riparian areas serve important functions related to protecting water quality and promoting habitat for fish and aquatic life. Useful summaries of these functions, recommended buffer widths, and other recommendations for riparian areas in lower gradient, marine-influenced areas, like coastal Puget Sound, may be found in: •
•
•
Brennan, J. (Washington Sea Grant), H. Culverwell, R. Gregg, and P. Granger. Protection of Marine Riparian Functions in Puget Sound, Washington. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2009. Seattle, WA: 2009. FEMAT (Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team). 1993. Forest ecosystem management: An ecological, economic, and social assessment. U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Interior. Portland, Oregon. May, C.W. 2003. Stream-riparian ecosystems in the Puget Sound lowland eco-region – a review of best available science. Watershed Ecology, LLC, 2003.
Riparian areas perform the following valuable functions related to water quality and fish habitat: •
• • • •
•
• • II.
Reduce or prevent nutrients (at CAFOs, this is generally nitrogen and phosphorus), and other organic material, and pesticides from reaching adjacent waters by providing additional absorption opportunities. Reduce or prevent pesticides from reaching adjacent waters by trapping and degrading pesticide runoff Control erosion and sediment, improving stability of stream banks, which minimizes turbidity and alterations to the channel. Establish or protect aquatic habitat and passageways for fish and other aquatic life. Establish or protect riparian habitat, including nesting areas and pollen/nectar availability for pollinators, thus providing a food source for aquatic species and improving the overall health of the local system. Control water temperatures to improve the habitat for fish and other aquatic species by providing a source of shade, regulating stream flow, maintaining the channel width-to-depth ratio, and impacting microclimate.(1) Establish, restore, or maintain the health of riparian plant communities by preserving or restoring native vegetation. Increase water storage on floodplains, and increase net carbon storage in biomass and soil. Definitions
Riparian: of or relating to the interface between land and rivers and streams.
140 | Western Environmental Law Center