The single most effective tool to protecting our lakes and rivers are riparian buffer zones. Riparian buffer zones are vegetated tracts of land adjacent to streams, lakes, and wetlands containing trees, shrubs, and/or grass. Riparian corridors are the buffers and larger tracts of land along shorelines that support distinct ecosystems. Riparian buffer zones and corridors are necessary to protect water quality, stabilize streambanks, provide habitat for wildlife, and increase the overall aesthetics of an area.
Excess sediments, pollutants, and debris are caught and filtered in buffer zones and corridors, preventing waterways from being over burdened. Up to 85% of excess pollutants can be converted into less harmful forms by trees, shrubs, and grass in riparian buffer zones and corridors. Naturally vegetated buffers literally hold the riverbank together and serve to protect it from erosion. These tracts of land also provide an important transitional area between waterways and developed land for wildlife.
To learn more information about riparian buffers, please visit these websites:
ANR Riparian Buffer Guidance
Connecticut River Joint Commission buffer fact sheet - The Connecticut River Joint Commission has produced an award-winning fact-sheet on the importance of riparian buffers. It is printable in a pdf format and is reprintable without permission.
Vermont DEC - The Hydrology Section seeks to protect or restore the natural condition of rivers and streams by addressing issues related to flow management, water level management in reservoirs and lakes, stream and riparian zone protection, and the impacts of dams on rivers and streams.
In This Section
Acid Mine Drainage
Bank Erosion & Sediment
Basin Planning
Fisheries
Floodplain Management
Good Road Maintenance
Grants
Invasive Species
Mercury
Non-Point Source Pollution
Organizations
Permits
Riparian Buffer Zones
Wastewater Treatment
Water Quality Studies
Water Supply Protection
Wetlands