Cornell Cooperative Extension

Tompkins County
small stream. Used on riparian buffer poster 2019-11. Used with permission
Image by Annie Bastoni, member of TC WRC

Plants along stream banks can reduce flooding, protect water and soil, and provide habitat

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Stream Buffer Workshop

  • Thursday, November 21, 2019, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

This lively event will provide municipal officials, board members, conservationists and others interested in protecting streams and wetlands with tools that improve water quality, and reduce flooding and property loss in a changing climate. Light dinner will be provided.

To register, contact Maria Christian at mjc72@cornell.edu or 607-272-2292. Please indicate your role (if any) with an organization such as a planning board, citizen group, agency, etc.

5:00-5:30 Riparian Buffers 101: Why are buffers important and how are they vulnerable? Lydia Brinkley, Upper Susquehanna Coalition
5:30-6:00 Ordinances/Site Review: Tips and tools to protect buffers at the municipal level. Scott Doyle, Tompkins County Planning and Sustainability
6:00-6:15 Dinner
6:15-6:35 Watershed Planning: Ways to identify and prioritize stream buffers in need of improvement. Kristen Hychka, NYS Water Resources Institute
6:35-7:00 Project Implementation: How to implement a stream/buffer restoration projects and funding options available. Lydia Brinkley
7:00-7:30 Case Studies: Lessons learned from stream restoration projects in Tompkins County. Angel Hinickle, Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District; Scott Doyle, and Lydia Brinkley
7:30-8:00 Q & A 


This training may count for your training credits, such as for planning board members. Please check with your local municipality. Certificates will be provided documenting 2.5 hours of training.

Fee

$10/person payable by credit card in advance or cash/check at the door.

Contact

Maria Christian
Administrative Assistant
mjc72@cornell.edu
(607) 272-2292 ext. 130

Location

Tompkins Center for History & Culture
The Commons
110 North Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

Last updated November 8, 2019

Buffer Flyer

buffer flyer

click on image for printable flyer

NOTE: Ample parking on the street and in the nearby Seneca Street Garage.

Workshop Sponsors

Presented by the Tompkins County Water Resources Council. With support from Upper Susquehanna Coalition, Tompkins County Planning and Sustainability Department, Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Water Resources Institute, Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center and Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County

Why Buffers?

Also known as riparian buffers and filter strips, stream buffers are listed under NYS Climate Smart Communities as a climate resiliency action. "Riparian buffers include floodplains and other natural areas between streams or other water bodies and human land uses. Expanding riparian buffer areas and restoring vegetation, especially native trees and shrubs, in buffer areas can help reduce some of the impacts of existing and projected future flooding. Vegetation along streams, wetlands, and other water bodies can protect or restore those water bodies and contribute a natural buffer around flood zones. Healthy vegetated riparian buffers can intercept rainfall, filter runoff, capture sediment, absorb excess floodwaters, provide shade and reduce stream temperatures, reduce erosion, and slow down the flow of the water. They also offer benefits to habitat and contribute to ecosystem resiliency. Riparian buffers can help reduce the effects of heavy precipitation events and store water through droughts. Restoring vegetated buffers is important in flood-prone areas, but also in areas upstream of those places to reduce the speed and potentially the volume of floodwaters."

 

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