Guidelines for controlled activities on waterfront land—Riparian corridors. City of Atlanta Riparian Buffer Revegetation Guidelines Stream and wetland buffers are protected by the City of Atlanta Riparian Buffer Ordinance (Chapter 74 Article VII) because they provide water quality, stream bank stability, and wildlife habitat benefits. A riparian buffer is a strip of forested or vegetated land bordering a body of water. 2 Guidelines for Wetland and Riparian Buffers April 9, 2010 • Heraty, M. 1993. Riparian Buffers Guidance Manual Page - iv Preface While the entire 100-foot wide buffer is required to accomplish the buffer requirements, scientific studies have noted that, on first, second and third-order streams (headwater streams and Unlike RMAs, riparian areas do not have a specified width. These strips of grass, shrubs and/or trees along the banks of rivers and streams provide a range of environmental benefits. Description: A corridor of trees and/or shrubs planted adjacent to a river, stream, wetland or water body. • Schueler, T. 1995. (3) Wetlands adjacent to surface waters or within the riparian buffer width as set forth in Rule .0605 of this Section shall be considered as part of the riparian buffer but are regulated pursuant to 15A NCAC 02H .0506. The vegetation and root systems in a riparian buffer stabilize the stream-bank, preventing soil from eroding into the water. (M. Herary, Environmental Protection Agency, 1993). The planting is of sufficient width and up-gradient and near the water body to insure adequate functioning for the desired purpose. Preserving riparian buffers is critical to protecting our water resources. (T. Schueler, ... • providing an interface or buffer between developments and waterways • providing passive recreational uses. Riparian buffers also act as a filter to remove pollutants. Sources of Assistance and Additional Information Books. As your riparian buffer ages, the plant communities and habitat within it also change and become attractive to different wildlife. Appendix A – Buffer Revegetation Guidelines ... A healthy riparian buffer will successfully filter out pollutants, stabilize the bank, shade the waterbody, and provide habitat for wildlife from microscopic to migratory. An ideal stream or wetland buffer is densely Riparian Buffer Programs: A Guide to Developing and Implementing a Riparian Buffer Program as an Urban Best Management Practice. The Aquatic Habitat Guidelines collection was created by a consortium of public agencies to assist property owners, planners, designers and regulators protect and restore marine, freshwater and riparian fish and wildlife habitat. Purpose of these Guidelines Riparian buffers have been identified as a valuable tool for protection of water quality when properly designed and established in the appropriate landscape setting. Range guidelines are applied to riparian areas (as defined by regulations) rather than to riparian management areas (RMAs). For this reason, the goal of the Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP) is to implement projects to restore riparian buffers that have the greatest value for Riparian areas include the stream, wetland, or lake and the adjacent moist area where vegetation is distinct from that of the surrounding uplands. Figure 7: Riparian Forest Buffer — Illustration of a typical riparian forest buffer and how one works. Instead, this paper focuses on buffer width guidelines as one manifestation of resource management used to maintain riparian values. Depending on location within a watershed, type of waterbody, slope of Riparian buffers are a natural, effective means of protecting the watercourses in the Lehigh Valley. Site Planning for Urban Stream Protection. Whatever type of riparian buffer you create, you have contributed a valuable resource for both people and wildlife. (2) This Rule shall apply to activities conducted within riparian buffers as set forth in Rule .0605 of this Section.