Dr. Mike Dosskey of the US Forest Service recently presented a webinar as part of the Ohio Watershed Network NPS webinar series on the AgBufferBuilder tool he and colleagues have developed to design more efficient buffer (i.e., sediment filter) strips in and along cultivated fields. Dr. Dosskey makes a powerful argument for field-specific filter strip designs as opposed to the more conventional constant-width buffer strips along drainage channels and streams. Results from comparative modeling trials suggest that sediment trapping efficiencies can be increased 50% or more in some cases using a tailored design based on slope, areas of concentrated flow, soil type, and other field-specific factors.
A recording of the webinar is now available on CarmenConnect. Find a link to the recording on the Ohio Watershed Network website at: http://ohiowatersheds.osu.edu/education/best-practices/agbufferbuilder-webinar