Which practice helps reduce nutrient loss to waterways?

• A. Use buffer zones around waterways
• B. Burning clippings
• C. Over-watering
• D. Apply fertilizer during rain

Answer: (A)

Protecting water quality hinges on keeping nutrients out of runoff. A buffer zone—a vegetated strip along a waterway—acts as a natural filter. It slows and infiltrates water, traps sediment, and the plants take up nitrogen and phosphorus, reducing what leaves the landscape and enters streams, rivers, or ponds. Nutrients that reach waterways fuel algae growth and degrade water quality, so buffer zones effectively cut that loss.

The other practices either fail to filter nutrients or actively promote losses: burning clippings can release nutrients back into the air and soil and removes protective vegetation; over-watering increases runoff and leaching beyond the root zone; applying fertilizer during rain guarantees substantial fertilizer will wash away instead of feeding plants.