Riparian buffers sit at the intersection of land use and water quality. The word riparian refers to wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams. It’s called a buffer because it serves as a space between waterways and land uses that can harm them. So, a forested riparian buffer is basically an area next to water with a mix of trees, shrubs, and perennial plants managed specifically to protect water quality. This is accomplished by stabilizing eroding banks, maximizing rainfall infiltration, and minimizing rainfall runoff and sediments entering the waterway.

Forested riparian buffers are generally divided into three zones that run parallel to the water line.

• Zone one, the unmanaged forest, sits at the water’s edge where the goal is to stabilize the bank and improve aquatic habitat. In this sometimes-turbulent zone, it is important to have plants with different root structures and water tolerances to withstand seasonal variations in water level.
• Zone two, the managed forest, helps intercept polluted runoff and provides terrestrial wildlife habitat. It is also an ideal area for forest farming.
• Zone three is the transition zone between your riparian buffer and the land use you are buffering the waterway from (lawns, farm fields, roads, clear-cuts, etc.). This zone is insurance against big floods and a perfect area for pollinator habitat that includes perennial grasses and prairie species with deep fibrous roots that hold soil and promote rainfall infiltration.

It’s a good idea to call your county forester before making a big investment to improve your riparian areas. With some planning, buffers can provide many benefits in addition to protecting water quality. You could include trees and shrubs with edibles, like apples, cherries, elderberries, currants, and hazelnuts. Zones two and three are also suitable for selective harvests of high-value timber crop trees, like black walnut and white oak. And no matter the other uses, forested riparian buffers are great for wildlife on land and in water. On the watershed scale, working with neighbors to link riparian buffers together as wildlife travel corridors is one of the most effective wildlife conservation strategies in landscapes squeezed by combines and condos.

Further reading