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RAGT0 - Percentage of stream corridor classified as all agricultural use The percentage of all agricultural land cover adjacent to streams
is calculated by summing the total number of pasture, crop and orchard
land cover cells underneath stream segments in the 1 km grid cell
reporting unit and dividing by the stream corridor’s total
land area (total number cells underneath stream segments minus those
classified as water). Agricultural practices typically employ fertilizers,
pesticides and other chemicals that may be transported to streams
in water runoff. The closer 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. Animals grazing in
pasture land may decrease vegetation cover possibly leading to increased
runoff. Livestock may also impair stream banks by trampling riparian
vegetation, which may cause increased sedimentation in the stream.
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