Filter Strips#
Filter strips allow water flowing out of a field to slow down and drop sediment and nutrients before it enters waterway (source, NC State SERA17)
Definition
Leaving a permanent planting of vegetation cover on the downstream end of your field.
How it works: When water is running across a field, it carries soil particles. If you plant and maintain permanent vegetation at the downstream edges of your field, it puts a permanent barrier in the water’s path. This makes the water slow down and drop its soil particles in the filter strip. This intervention is conceptually similar to a buffer strip, but it is planted and maintained specifically at the end of furrow plantings or at the downstream end of a field. The strategy is intended to catch the particles before they enter waterways, for they can pollute waterways and also add additional water, increasing flood intensity.
Benefits |
Drawbacks |
|---|---|
Effective way to slow erosion |
Removes land from production indefinitely |
No new infrastructure required |
Requires mowing and maintenance |
Increases water infiltration |
|
Prevents water pollution |