Forested Stream Buffers

Forests along streams and waterways, also known as "riparian buffers," provide the greatest single protection of water quality. They help to:

  • Filter impurities from stormwater runoff, protecting water quality
  • Hold soil in place and decrease stream bank erosion
  • Reduce the disruptive energy of moving flood waters
  • Shade streams, keeping water cool and oxygenated
  • Provide a connected habitat and source of food for fish, insects, and wildlife

Potential Funding Sources for Landowners

Scenic Creek Valley Buffer Rules

The Scenic Creek Valley Buffer prevents the construction of new structures within 250 feet of the Potomac River, 200 feet of the Scenic River designated portions of Goose Creek and Catoctin Creek, and 150 feet of each creek or stream where the watershed is greater than 640 acres.

Loudoun County encourages the growth, through plantings or natural succession, of vegetative and forest cover within the Scenic Creek Valley Buffer area.

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Buffer