Landowners - Stream Buffers & erosion Control

Landowners

Stream Buffers & Erosion Control

Tallgrass species can be useful tools for creating buffer strips for riparian zones, as an alternative to trees or shrubs. The Nutrient Management Act, 2002 , Ontario Regulation 267/03 requires that livestock have no access to surface water for operators with high-density permanent outdoor confinement area or areas.

Tallgrass is very effective for filtration of sediment, and soil-bound nutrients, pesticides and bacteria, as well as for phosphorus management. They are generally effective for increasing shore/bank stability and creating wildlife habitat.

Narrow grassed buffers are very useful municipal and other open drains in flat, intensively cropped areas, or in intensively grazed areas where livestock have been excluded and trees plantings aren’t suitable.

An excellent resource for learning about buffer strips is Best Management Practices: Buffer Strips. Single copies are free to Ontario farmers from local Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices. Or to purchase a copy go to http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/products/product.html

	Farm & Rural Properties
»	Stream buffers and erosion control
	Forage, grazing and marginal lands
	Native plant nurseries and seed production
	Financial assistance to convert land to native grassland species
	The Agro-economic Applications of Tallgrass Prairie Species in Ontario
	Securing Land - Environment Canada’s Ecogift Program