State and Local Efforts in Managing Riparian Buffer Zones

Proceedings of the 1999 Georgia Water Resources Conference, March 30 and 31, Athens, Georgia.The importance of protecting Georgia's riparian systems cannot be overestimated. An adequate supply of safe, clean drinking water - much of which is drawn from the state's rivers - is necessary to protect the health and welfare of the public, as well as to provide a basis for the state's future growth and development. Riparian systems also provide unique recreational opportunities and important wildlife habitat. Land use along streams can have a profound effect on river water quality and the health of riparian ecosystems. Unregulated development along stream banks can result in sediment and other pollutants running into the stream, and can also increase the frequency and severity of flooding. With the state experiencing unprecedented growth, new development is inevitably encroaching on the state's riparian systems. Therefore, management of land use in these areas has become a critical issue.Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis book was published by the Institute of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2202 with partial funding provided by the U.S. Department of Interior, geological Survey, through the Georgia Water Research Insttitute as authorized by the Water Research Institutes Authorization Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397). The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of the University of Georgia or the U.S. Geological Survey or the conference sponsors