Tips and Techniques – Water Terms

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Water is always a topic that seems to come up whenever folks are buying land, selling it, or improving what they already own.  What is the difference between a creek and a stream?  a pond and a lake?  What is meant by riparian doctrine?  What is watershed?  a gaining stream?  porosity? Whether you are buying, selling, or improving, it is best to understand what these terms mean, and sometimes it can be an overwhelming task to search a host of different locations for such information.  We have compiled a list of nearly 100 terms that will … [Read more...]

Conservation Buffers

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What is a conservation buffer? A conservation buffer is a small strip of land in permanent vegetation that helps to control an environmental problem or concern.  They are typically less expensive to install than other practices which require more engineering and construction.  There are many different types of buffers such as a windbreak which we discussed in a previous article,  shelter belts, field borders,  alley cropping,  areas of shallow water,  living snow fences, contour grass strips, vegetative barriers, and riparian buffers.  Each … [Read more...]

Conservation Tips Made Easy

Conserve household water

We constantly receive tips on how to conserve and be better stewards of the great outdoors we have inherited.  If you are like me, sometimes when you read these tips, you see the first one, and say, "it's impossible for me to do that" and don't bother to read the rest that may be attainable.  I think the first one that comes to mind is the advice to carpool or take public transportation.  Great suggestion if you live in a city but for those living in rural America not only is public transportation out, for the most part carpooling is as well.  … [Read more...]

Water Part Two: Don’t get caught up in terminology……

What is the difference between a river, a creek, a stream, and a branch?  When does a pond become a lake?  While size can play into the answer to all of these questions, the definition of these words is less important to me than what the person saying them actually means.  For example, Potato Creek in South Georgia can be a raging torrent several hundred feet across, while the Mississippi River in Minnesota is small enough to jump across.  This fact was driven home to me a year or so ago when a friend purchased 100 acres with a nice “creek” … [Read more...]