What is a Vegetated Buffer?
Buffer strips are trees, shrubs, and groundcover that catch sediment and nonpoint source pollution before they reach the lake. Environmental professionals highly recommend creating a vegetative buffer as an effective conservation practice (or Best Management Practice – "BMP") for controlling storm water runoff pollution.
Picture 1: A typical lake front cabin with hardly any buffer. The owners are growing a lawn on the narrow space between the cabin and the lake.
Conservationists noted long ago that lakes with pristine shorelines suffered few of the water quality problems seen in more developed watersheds. In an ideal world, vegetation along a shoreline would be left undisturbed for distances of 50-250 feet, measured inland from the shoreline, depending on the degree of slope of the terrain. Settlement patterns in many of our lake watersheds are such that houses and camps have traditionally been situated very close to the shoreline, and ideal conditions no longer exist. Properties without vegetation have no barrier against sediments and pollution. Therefore it is very important to create and maintain a buffer strip on your property.
Picture 2: This is a computer enhanced image of the same cabin with a buffer strip added. Note the increased privacy!
sed in common lawn mixes are shallow-rooted, and while they do protect against surface erosion, they can't provide adequate protection over the long haul. Lawns are best used as part of an overall landscape design, to provide open space for outdoor activities. But, to save yourself maintenance time and to protect water quality, keep lawn areas to a minimum. Avoid use of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides; use lime to build a heartier turf. Lime sweetens the soil and makes nutrients available to root systems.
How do vegetated buffers work?
The tree and shrub canopy intercepts raindrops and reduces their impact on the soil.
Leaf surfaces collect rain and allow for evaporation.
Low herbaceous plants and the duff layer filter sediment and pollutants from runoff.
Root systems hold soil in place and absorb water and nutrients.
An uneven soil surface (with hummocks and depressions) allows rain and snowmelt to puddle and infiltrate.
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