Wetlands, Riparian Areas, & Nonpoint Source Pollution

Wetlands, Riparian Areas, & Vegetated Treatment Systems

Background

Wetlands and riparian areas can play a critical role in reducing polluted runoff by intercepting surface runoff, subsurface flow, and certain groundwater flows. Their role in quality improvement includes processing, removing, transforming, and storing such pollutants as sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, and certain heavy metals.

Thus, wetlands and riparian areas buffer receiving waters from the effects of pollutants, or they prevent the entry of pollutants into receiving waters. They often serve as the final natural filter before runoff flows into coastal waters and as habitats for a wide range of terrestrial, aquatic, saltwater, and freshwater species. Though they are frequently perceived as stagnant or unusable areas, healthy wetlands are crucial to the function of most watersheds across the state.

Riparian areas include land bordering streams, lakes, and springs. Like wetlands, these areas must be protected and maintained in order to sufficiently filter out NPS pollution before it flows downstream.

Best Practices

Implementing BMPs can help build the resilience of wetlands, improve water quality within them, and increase their effectiveness in filtering water before it reaches the ocean. Such practices may include:

  • Revegetation with native species
  • Clearing debris, silt, and rubbish from existing water bodies to improve circulation
  • Reducing impervious surface coverage and expanding permeable surface area
  • Creating riparian buffers using native vegetation, vetiver, compost socks, and/or berms
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