As the year concludes and we begin looking at our water sampling data from this past season, we noticed that some of our sites have significantly better water quality than others. As all our sites are on the same river, you may be asking “why aren’t they all the same?”.
There are many studies that confirm the negative impact of a changing landscape on water quality. As the global population grows, previously natural land is quickly being converted to sites for farms, housing, and other building types. Vermont is no exception. A report written by faculty at the University of Memphis in Tennessee outlines the damage done to water quality by human-induced landscape changes. The article focuses on three main landscape types (similar to those seen in northern Vermont): agriculture, forest, and urban land.
Agricultural land is known to leech harmful chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers into the water if there is an inadequate buffer between the body of surface water and the farmland. As nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen help in the growth of crops, excess often run into ground and surface water after rain falls or a field is irrigated.
Urban land sends many harmful substances into water bodies as well, such as industrial wastewater, domestic sewage, and gasoline. Impervious surfaces seen in urban environments (such as roads, roofs, parking lots, etc.) facilitate the immediate runoff of these chemicals into the water by prohibiting rainwater from penetrating groundwater. Eventually, this can begin to affect drinking and treated water supply.
Forested lands (and other types of natural environments) are deemed the best ecosystem to surround surface water. Trees and other forest vegetation soaks excess phosphorus and nitrogen into their roots, effectively removing it from the environment.
If you have property near water, here are some things you can do to maximize your buffer:
Plant native plants in bald areas in your yard
Avoid any form of fertilizer, if possible
Remove noxious weeds or invasive plants to allow trees room to grow
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