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Steve Tate
| | Posted on Thursday, April 08, 1999 - 07:10 am: | |
The Buffer Zone with Vegetation along Waterways is Inadequate
Authored by Dave Wilson.
Required native plant buffers along
waterways in the coastal bays watershed
are inadequate for protecting water quality
and wildlife habitat.
At 25 feet, the buffer needed between new
homes and waterways in the coastal bays pales in
comparison to the Chesapeake’s watershed where
a 100-foot plant buffer is required between new
development and tidal and non-tidal waterways.
No buffer is required along non-tidal waters in
the coastal bays.
Meanwhile, Assawoman and Isle of Wight bays are more degraded from runoff than the
Chesapeake, and new large scale developments in
the northern coastal bays are placing additional
pressure on the resource. Still, the notion of
adding another 75 feet to retain statewide consistency has been met with derision from the development sectors in the coastal bays.
Shoreline development is big business in Worcester
County and a change from 25 feet to 100 feet could
impact property values on undeveloped property
Unlike some other programs and agencies, the Coastal Bays Program does not rule with an iron fist and acknowledges that concessions must be made
on both sides in order to realize some gains.
After almost three years’of wrangling over the issue from both sides, the Community and
Economic Development Subcommittee of the Coastal
Bays Program has been stalemated on the buffer
question. As the program recommendations currently
stand, site criter4a such as location, elevati a and erosion rates will play a role in how much otuTer is needed along any given tidal or non.tidal property Resources being buffered, such as shellfish or seagrass beds may also play a role.
In terms of environmental importance, native plant buffers along waterways are paramount
Such buffers absorb nutrients and chemicals
before they enter water bodies, control flooding,
and represent some of the most threatened yet
important wildlife habitat in North America.
For those who already live along water bodies or who are planning to build there, intelligent and thoughtful stewardship of your land can make a difference for wildlife and water quality.
First, avoid bulkheading or riprapping your
property. This exacerbates sedimentation and
robs the water of its ability to clean it self
Second, if only grass separates you from the water, plant something else, preferably native
trees and shrubs. Grass does not have the
nutrient uptake capacity of larger plants and is
useless for wildlife. Leaving sight lines for
yourself is fine, but try to make plant cover as
thick as possible.
Third, if you are purchasing waterfront
property do not denude your land of vegetation
and then replant it. Cutting and replanting along
shorelines invariably causes massive erosion
problems for homeowners as dead roots decay
Nature knows what’s best for water and wildlife.
Ask your local planning department about sight
lines through your existing buffer.
The reality here is that no regulations would be needed if folks could find it within themselves to do the right thing. Houses and roads take up space. Leaving a sliver of that space for nature will reap you environmental and, perhaps, moral rewards. |
Swan
| | Posted on Sunday, September 10, 2000 - 01:27 pm: | |
Merry Meeting,
I am wondering if such a buffer zone (25 feet) is inadequate, why the development of Ocean Pines latest community is building along the Assawoman Bay without any bufferzone? I cannot help but think what will happen to that part of the coastline.Why are they permitted to do this with impunity ? What protections are in place to prevent such a devastating blow to the environment? ( obviously none that worked)
Love and light
Swan |
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