Technical and Scientific Considerations for Upland and Riparian Buffer Strips in the Section 404 Permit Process

摘要

Effective natural resource management within watersheds often requires the establishment, protection, and management of vegetated buffer strips to provide for physical (e.g., protection of water quality) and ecological (e.g., plant and animal habitat) functions. Since passage and subsequent amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has had legal authority during Section 404 permit decisions to require vegetated buffer strips as part of the mitigation for filling wetlands. Among the goals of the CWA are restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters, and attainment of 'water quality which provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife' (33 U.S.C. 1251 (a) (2)). Vegetated buffer strips, such as forested riparian areas, may be well-suited for this purpose, and are a critical element of the overall aquatic ecosystem in virtually all watersheds (Federal Reg. 67(10), p. 2064). Buffer strips are also widely recognized for a variety of functions, including streambank stabilization; erosion control; providing organic matter critical for aquatic organisms; serving as nutrient sinks for the surrounding watershed; water temperature control through shading; reducing flood peaks; and serving as key recharge points for renewing groundwater supplies (DeBano and Schmidt 1990; O'Laughlin and Belt 1995). If designed and managed properly, buffer strips also provide habitat for a large variety of plant and animal species.