The Optimization of the Spatial Distribution and Width of Riparian Buffers Using the Riparian Decision Support System

The Riparian Decision Support System combines hydrologic, ecologic and economic models to provide the best distribution of riparian buffers along the edges of a stream. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool and the Riparian Ecosystem Management Model were combined within a single interface, providing input for an economic model that searches for the least cost width, and buffer distribution constrained by monthly pollutant threshold levels. This optimization problem was solved using a heuristic method. A tabu search algorithm was developed to obtain the least cost buffer widths. The Riparian Decision Support System was applied in a watershed in Delaware County, New York to estimate the effectiveness of alternative buffer widths for the reduction of phosphorus.