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Wildlife Habitat Buffer Strips

Filter Strips and Buffer Strips

Establishing Filter Strips and Buffer Strips for Wildlife (FNR-204W) (in production)

Grassed Waterways

Agricultural fields commonly contain natural swales and depressions that concentrate water flow after storm events. Rather than planting row crops, plant grassed waterways on these highly erodible areas. By reducing the rate of surface water flow, grassed waterways can reduce soil erosion and thereby improve water quality. However, grassed waterways can also provide valuable wildlife habitat if you do the following:

1. Avoid planting fescue, a cool-season grass, if wildlife habitat is a priority. If fescue must be planted, a low-endophyte fescue (Johnstone, Fawn, Kenhy, Forager, and varieties) should be used. Fescue endophyte is a fungus that grows between the cells of a tall fescue plant. High-endophyte fescue (Ky31 variety) has been found to reduce litter sizes in some species such as rabbits.
   
2. Plant a combination of grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, redtop, switchgrass, or timothy) with clover, annual lespedeza (southern Indiana only), or partridge pea.
   
3. Establish filter strips (in production) on each side of the waterway.
   
4. Minimize or eliminate disturbance (mowing, machine traffic, grazing, etc.) during the nesting season. Repeated mowing during the growing season prior to establishment is necessary for establishment of cool-season grasses and control of weeds. Once established, mow the grassed waterway in a 2 to 3 year rotation so that only 1/2 to 1/3 of it is mowed in a given year. This will maintain the integrity of the waterway while providing some winter cover and early-spring nesting habitat for wildlife. Mow cool-season grass no shorter than 6 inches and native warm-season grass no shorter than 10 inches.