The watershed management plan will include language for a suggested stream buffer ordinance.   A stream buffer is a designated zone along both banks of the creek that impervious surfaces or buildings cannot be constructed within.   This zone is usually described as a linear offset distance from the banks of the creek.   A minimum suggested distance is 10 feet.   Other states such as Wisconsin and Minnesota enforce 20 to 30-foot stream buffer offsets.   Michigan has no such rule in its Administrative Code.

Stream buffers provide treatment for stormwater or groundwater that may be entering the creek.   A vegetated buffer traps sediment, can uptake contaminants and can cool stormwater before it enters the creek.   Buffer strips also create a more natural “corridor” for the creek and can decrease its appearance as a ditch-like water body.   Vegetation along the banks can also provide habitat for invertebrates and amphibians that may inhabit the creek.

Developing the Huron Creek Watershed Management Plan