What are Buffer Zones and why are they needed?
Landscape management practices have a significant effect on ecological and property management concerns. Preventive measures can be taken to protect lakeshore property from some ecological damage. One measure which often proves beneficial is the creation of a buffer zone. Buffer zones are areas along the shoreline of a body of water that protect stream channels and banks. They reduce the amount of pollutants entering a lake, pond or stream by trapping, filtering and diverting sediments, nutrients and other chemicals that exist in the runoff from surrounding lands. These buffers protect land from being lost through stream bank erosion, and can also provide habitat for fish and other important aquatic organisms.
