Riparian Buffer

Natural buffers or naturalized plantings along streams, bayous, and lake edges protect water quality by filtering out sediments and pollutants before they can enter a fresh water body. A stream bank buffer is a protected area along a water body such as a stream, bayou, pond or lake where development is restricted or prohibited. They can vary in width from a minimum of twenty (20) feet to a maximum of two hundred and fifty (250) feet.  The width of the buffer zone is dependent upon the size of the stream and its drainage load and overflow characteristics for the most part although other factors such as slope, soils and amount of vegetation must be considered.  A hundred foot (100) wide buffer on both sides of a stream is quite common in those communities that have adopted riparian buffer ordinances.

The primary function of buffers is to physically protect and separate a stream, lake, or wetland from edge disturbance or encroachment. If properly designed, a buffer can provide storm water management and act as an overflow zone during floods, sustaining the integrity of stream ecosystems and associated riparian habitats. Technically, aquatic buffers are one type of conservation area that function as an integral part of the aquatic ecosystem and can also function as part of an urban forest. For this reason, many communities buy up development rights and public access rights for these lands.