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Wetland and Stream Buffer Size Requirements—A Review

Adolfson Associates, 5309 Shilshole Ave. N.W., Seattle, WA 98107;
Aquatic Resource Consultants, 1606 Nob Hill Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109.

^* Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Upland vegetated buffers are widely regarded as being necessary to protect wetlands, streams, and other aquatic resources. Buffer size requirements, however, have typically been established by political acceptability, not scientific merit. This often leads to insufficiently buffered aquatic resources. In order to assist public agencies in formulating appropriate buffer standards, we conducted a literature search of the scientific functions of buffers. The literature search reconfirmed the need for buffers and emphasized the importance of considering specific buffer functions. A range of buffer widths from 3 m to 200 m was found to be effective, depending on site-specific conditions; a buffer of at least 15 m was found to be necessary to protect wetlands and streams under most conditions.