A group of Florida Manatees - Photo by Eric Weber

Rivers, creeks and wetlands form a logical backbone for much of Florida's wildlife habitat.  In contrast to Florida uplands, there is a substantial legal authority for communities to protect their rivers, streams. wetlands and open karst features.

A buffer is an area of naturally vegetated land along a lake, stream, or wetland that provides numerous benefits.  Preserving a buffer protects water resources from neighboring land uses.  Nutrient inputs are of great concern because of their abundant sources (fertilizer, septic tank drain fields, leaking sewage lines, animal waste).  Excess nutrients in lakes and estuaries cause toxic algal blooms and depleted oxygen.  Natural chemical and biological processes within buffers alter or uptake nutrients and pollutants before they enter a water body, thus providing a cost-effective treatment system.  Buffers preserve native habitat for wildlife and enhance aquatic habitat.  The range of benefits provided by buffers includes (among other things):

·                     Water quality protection

·                     Erosion control

·                     Storage of floodwaters and flood damage reduction

·                     Aquatic habitat enhancement

·                     Habitat for terrestrial riparian wildlife

·                     Maintenance of base flow in streams

·                     Improved aesthetic appearance of stream corridors

·                     Recreational and educational opportunities

Background Papers and Resources

1. The Vital Link between Land and Water: The Importance of Uplands for Protecting Wetland Functions, By, Amy K. Taylor, Patricia Sprott, and Frank J. Mazzotti, University of Florida, IFAS Extension.

2. Wildlife Values of Ephemeral Wetlands in the Southeastern Coastal Plain, Presented by: Paul Moler. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

3. Core Habitat, Not Buffer Zone - By Raymond D. Semlitsch and  John B. Jensen © 2001 Environmental Law Institute. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

4. Drafting Effective Lake, Stream and Wetland Buffer Ordinances.  By Louis N. Smith and Charles B. Holtman,Rivers Council of Minnesota: River Leaders Summit,February 13, 2003.

5. A REVIEW OF THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE ON RIPARIAN BUFFER WIDTH, EXTENT AND VEGETATION. Buffers_lit_review.pdf  By: Seth Wenger for the Office of Public Service & Outreach Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia. Revised Version, March 5, 1999, I n s t i t u t e o f E c o l o g y, U n i v e r s i t y o f G e o rgia, Athens, Georgia.

6. Buffers:  An Efficient Tool for Watershed Protection - Fact Sheet.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Panama City Florida Office.

7. Model Stream Buffer Ordinance from Cherokee, Georgia

8. The HHWQ blog is a noncommercial site for hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality modeling and simulation, including associated Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). More than 100 free software applications are available for download and use.

9. St. Johns River WMD Basin Criteria  Chapter 40C-41, F.A.C for:

1. (a) Upper St. Johns River Hydrologic Basin

(b) Ocklawaha River Hydrologic Basin

(c) Wekiva River Hydrologic Basin

(d) Wekiva Recharge Protection Basin

(e) Econlockhatchee River Hydrologic Basin

(f) Tomoka River Hydrologic Basin

(g) Spruce Creek Hydrologic Basin

(h) Sensitive Karst Areas Basin

(i) Lake Apopka Hydrologic Basin

 

 A flock of Spoonbills - Photo by Marsha Drew