Water is most likely not the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of the Great Plains. However this region is home to the largest aquifer system in the United States. Concerns over declining water quality exist throughout the region. Runoff from agricultural lands and eroding stream banks are two factors that degrade water quality and are being intensified by sudden and more frequent weather-related events. Riparian forest buffers can help mitigate the negative impacts of these events.

A riparian buffer is an area of trees, shrubs, and/or other persistent vegetation next to a stream, lake, or wetland. These buffers enhance and protect water quality by filtering out nutrients, sediment, agrichemicals, and animal waste from runoff while stabilizing banks and preventing erosion. They also provide habitat and travel corridors for wildlife, cooler water temperatures for fish, and protect downstream areas from flood damage. While serving an important purpose, these areas often fail to meet the definition of “forest” employed by national forest inventory programs. Researchers with the Northern Research Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis unit collaborated with the USDA National Agroforestry Center to develop an operational land cover mapping process that uses 1-meter aerial photography to create much needed data describing tree cover for selected states in the Great Plains region. In addition, geographic information system (GIS) procedures are being developed to analyze the tree cover data and create output maps that identify existing riparian forest buffers as well as nonbuffered areas that would benefit from their establishment. The goal is to increase the adoption of riparian forest buffer renovation and establishment practices to protect and improve water quality throughout the region.