Riparian Working Group
Home l Initiatives l Reports and Forms l Members
General Riparian Forest Buffer Information
What is a Riparian Buffer?
The Executive Council of the Chesapeake Bay Program has defined a riparian buffer as:
"an area of trees, usually accompanied by shrubs and other vegetation,
that is adjacent to a body of water and which is managed to maintain the
integrity of 
stream
channels and shorelines, to reduce the impact of upland sources of pollution
by trapping, filtering, and converting sediments, nutrients, and other chemicals,
and to supply food, cover, and thermal protection to fish and other wildlife."
- Links between riparian forest buffers and water quality
- Appropriate trees and shrubs for planting in riparian areas
- Small trees and shrubs (English, PDF Format; 63KB)
- Medium to large trees (English, PDF Format; 29KB)
- How to plant riparian trees and shrubs (English, PDF Format; 46KB)
- Riparian buffer cost-share programs available in Virginia
- Additional riparian buffer resource materials
- Who to contact if you are interested in additional information about planting buffers in your community
Last modified: Thursday, 13-Mar-2008 16:33:17 EDT