Grass Buffers

Why

Grass filter strips are a low cost and effective method of filtering agricultural field and production area runoff. They function to capture and filter sediment, pesticides and fertilizers, as well as to provide feeding and nesting habitat for wildlife. Practically, they provide an alternative for marginal, flood-prone cropland, and they can be used for haying or grazing. Grass buffers can also provide access for agricultural operations and turn areas for equipment. 

How

Grass filter strips should be located immediately down-slope from the source area of contaminants, typically on the contour of a slope along a stream or other waterway. The minimum width should be 25 feet, but wider strips are appropriate adjacent to nutrient rich cropland or adjacent to a stream noted as impaired or contaminated. Uniform sheet flow through the filter strip should be ensured by building on slopes with a grade of at least 1% and of no more than 5%, and dispersing concentrated flows before they reach the filter strip. Using filter strips as a travel lane for equipment or livestock should be avoided.

Site preparation and seeding or planting is typically done in the spring or fall to best ensure plant growth and survival, when soil moisture is most adequate for germination and/or establishment. Species selected for seeding or planting should be suited to site conditions and intended uses and have the capacity to achieve adequate density and vigor within an appropriate period to stabilize the site. Only viable, high quality, native seed or planting stock should be used such as Kentucky bluegrass. Vermont's Designated Noxious Weeds are not allowed. Filter strips should be maintained as necessary to ensure dense and vigorous growth. 

Read the VT NRCS Filter Strip Practice Specification here.

Associated & Complimentary Practices

• Growing Grass

• Strip Cropping

• Riparian Forest Buffers, "Streamside Planting"