Stroud Water Research Center
Improving a stream along your property protects the stream, your land, and trout habitat, along with helping the Chesapeake Bay.
The Stroud Center worked with the Brubakers on measures to protect water quality, including manure management, fencing cows out of Donegal Creek, and planting streamside forest buffers.
Stroud Center researchers have teamed up with Propagate Ventures to design and implement for-profit, lower-risk buffers that can provide a source of income for farmers.
The planting will help to buffer a small stream from nearby barnyard activity and provide data about the growth rates of trees using two different types of tree stakes.
It’s not just one practice that can clean up a stream, but a lot of practices. And it’s not just one farmer; it takes every farmer along a stream to get it clean and keep it clean.
Maintenance is critical to the survival of riparian buffers. We visited John Young on a buffer maintenance day, checking in on the trees, the weeds, and the birds.
The goal of improving the survival and growth of trees has persisted through decades of research. Yet, with every new advance, new questions arise.
“God blessed us with this land, and we want to do our little part in conserving it and just making it a better place for everyone,” Lynette Sauder said.
Stroud Water Research Center wrapped up Earth Week by revisiting two streamside tree plantings for spring maintenance.
In the interest of testing new plants that could further enhance riparian areas, we’ve planted a mini-arboretum along the banks of White Clay Creek in our experimental watershed.