Conservation tillage methods of farming have provided a degree of help over the past 10 years. Here's a way to keep valuable topsoil on our farmland and out of waterways while increasing wildlife habitat and, in many cases, providing revenue to farmers. By planting combinations of grasses, shrubs, and trees in planned locations, landowners can reduce both water and wind erosion, control drifting snow, and reduce the movement of nutrients and contaminants into streams. Buffer strips can take lots of different forms. Bands of grasses, trees, and shrubs along stream and ditch banks can clean up water as it leaves a field.
Grassed waterways can nearly eliminate gully erosion.
Shelterbelts and field windbreaks can slow wind erosion, protect young crops, and manage snow accumulation. Marshy, shallow water areas can hold water while sediment settles out and can replenish ground water. As a bonus, all of these plantings provide excellent wildlife habitat. Good buffer strips may range up to 100 feet in width, which means substantial acreage must be dedicated to these plantings. Most landowners can enroll these acres into the continuous Conservation Reserve Program.