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RAGC30 - Percentage of stream corridor buffered to 30 meters classified as cropland The percentage of cropland cover within 30 meters of a stream is
calculated by summing the total number of cropland land cover cells
underneath stream segments in the 1 km grid cell reporting unit
and within a one cell buffer (30 meters) and dividing by the stream
corridor’s total land area (all cells 30 meters adjacent to
streams minus those classified as water). Cells inside the buffer
zone but outside of the grid cell boundary are ignored. Agricultural
practices typically employ fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals
that may be transported to streams in water runoff. The closer the
agriculture is to a stream the more likely related pollutants will
enter the stream. Concentrations of pollutants transported into
streams are also more likely to be higher when agriculture is closer
to streams. |