Which combination of practices is described as methods to minimize nutrient entry into waterbodies near highly maintained landscapes?

• A. Tall grass buffer strips, forested corridors, and septic system maintenance
• B. Only tall grass buffer strips
• C. Only septic system maintenance
• D. Forested corridors and chemical fertilizers nearby

Answer: (A)

Minimizing nutrient entry into waterbodies near highly maintained landscapes comes from combining practices that intercept, filter, and treat nutrients before they reach water. Tall grass buffer strips along edges slow and trap runoff, promote sedimentation, and take up nutrients with their roots and soil microbes. Forested corridors provide continuous vegetation that stabilizes banks, slows erosion, and enhances infiltration and nutrient removal as water moves through the root zone. Regular septic system maintenance prevents leaks or failures that could release nitrogen and phosphorus into groundwater or nearby sediments. Together, these practices address surface runoff, subsurface flow, and potential groundwater inputs, offering a comprehensive approach to reducing nutrient pollution from managed landscapes. Relying on only one practice misses important pathways, and adding fertilizers near the landscape would increase nutrients rather than minimize them.