NCSU BAE Riparian Buffer CREP 2

CREP Site 2

CREP Site 2 consists of a grassed/clover filterstrip and a planted pine buffer adjacent to the stream. Two buffer designs are located at the site due to topography and width differences. Block 1 has an average buffer width of 60 m (200 ft), while Block 2 has an average buffer width of 40-45 m (135–150 ft). The buffer was planted in 1999 with approximately 3 rows of hardwoods near the stream and loblolly pine throughout the buffer. The study site is located on a farm north of Enfield, NC, in Halifax County (Figure 2). The site is situated in the upper coastal plains region of North Carolina and is part of the Tar Pamilico River basin. A riparian buffer was placed perpendicular to an unnamed first-order tributary in 1999 that is in the Fishing Creek watershed (Hydrologic Unit 03020102). The tributary flows into Beech Swamp that drains into Fishing Creek. The site location was chosen by finding an area that would enable data analysis to not be complicated by hydrologic variables such as short circuits by old tile drains, landscape position, or deeply incised qualifying streams/canals. Nutrients and sediment from the field adjacent to the buffer is the major pollutant source contributing to the buffer. The primary pollutant at the site is inorganic fertilizer.


Figure 1: Monitored stream at Site 2	Figure 2: Research site location for Site 2

Figure 3: Upland field at Site 2

Site Instrumentation

46 Water Quality Wells
21 Shallow Wells 1.5-2.1 m (5-7 ft)
21 Deep Wells 3.0-3.4 m (9-12 ft)
4 Very Deep Wells 7.6-10.6 m (25-25 ft)
7 Nests of Platinum-Tipped Electrodes
1 Rain Gage (tipping bucket)
1 Manual Rain Gage
2 In-stream ISCO Automatic Samplers
6 Water Table Elevation Wells

Figure 4: Monitoring setup for Site 2

Site Monitoring

Rainfall Timing and Intensity (constantly)
Water Tables (hourly)
Water Tables manually (monthly)
Groundwater sampling (monthly)
NO₃^--N, O-PO₄, NH₄-N, DOC, Cl^-, Na²⁺ and Ca²⁺
Redox Potential (monthly)
Surface water sampling (biweekly)
NO₃-N, PO₄-P, NH₄-N, Cl^-, TP), TKN, TSS and turbidity