Slide 36 of 87
Notes:
The aquatic corridor, where land and water meet, deserves special protection in the form of buffers. Aquatic buffers are areas along a stream, shoreline, or wetland that help protect it. A buffer can be placed along a stream, shoreline, or around a natural wetland.
The primary use of a buffer is to physically protect and separate a stream, lake, or wetland from future disturbance or encroachment. For streams, a network of buffers act as a right-of-way during floods and sustains the integrity of stream ecosystems and habitats. Technically, buffers are one type of land conservation area, but the functional importance in watershed protection merits some discussion of how they work and why they are important.