Biological Engineering Commons^™

Methods To Prioritize Placement Of Riparian Buffers For Improved Water Quality, M. D. Tomer, Michael G. Dosskey, Michael R. Burkart, Matthew J. Helmers, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Agroforestry buffers in riparian zones can improve stream water quality, provided they intercept and remove contaminants from surface runoff and/or shallow groundwater. Soils, topography, surficial geology, and hydrology determine the capability of forest buffers to intercept and treat these flows. This paper describes two landscape analysis techniques for identifying and mapping locations where agroforestry buffers can effectively improve water quality. One technique employs soil survey information to rank soil map units for how effectively a buffer, when sited on them, would trap sediment from adjacent cropped fields. Results allow soil map units to be compared for relative effectiveness of buffers …