UFC 3-210-10
25 October 2004
safety and aesthetics or to suppress weeds and woody vegetation.
8-5.4
Corrective Actions. Trash tends to accumulate in filter strip areas,
particularly along highways. The need for litter removal should be determined through
periodic inspection, but litter should always be removed prior to mowing.
8-6
VEGETATED BUFFERS. Vegetated buffers trap and filter sediments,
nutrients, and chemicals from surface runoff and shallow groundwater.
Figure 8-5. Riparian Buffer Management.
Source: Maryland Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet 724.
8-6.1
Most Appropriate Uses. Maintaining a vegetated buffer along creeks,
streams, and rivers provides an attractive landscape and can improve water quality by
removing sediment and chemicals before they reach the waterway. In addition, buffers
provide flood control, help recharge groundwater, prevent soil erosion, and preserve or
improve certain types of wildlife habitat. Well-designed buffers can also stabilize the
stream bank and help absorb stormwater runoff.
8-6.2
Cost Data. Forest buffer costs range between 0 and 00 per hectare
(8 and 9 per acre) to plant and maintain. Planting costs depend on geographic
location, number of acres planted, number of trees planted per acre, species of trees,
and whether or not the trees are from bare root or container stock. Grass buffers tend
to cost less than forest buffers to plant and maintain (5 to $ 1000 per hectare [8
to 0 per acre]).
8-6.3
Maintenance Issues. Buffers should be monitored and managed to maintain
their maximum water quality benefits and, where desired, wildlife habitat benefits. They
should be inspected at least once a year, and always within a few days after severe
storms, for evidence of sediment deposition, erosion, or development of concentrated
flow channels. Weed and invasive species control is essential for the survival and rapid
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Colwell et al., 2000.
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