Use of GIS to Determine the Effect of Property Line and Water Buffers on Land Availability

Abstract

Animal feeding operations are experiencing increasing pressure from neighbors, regulators, and legislative authorities to improve air and water quality. One of the most popular tools used in legislation and regulations is the placement of buffers between odor emitting sites and property lines and between potential water pollution sources and water bodies. This study was done to demonstrate how a GIS system can be used to study the effects of placing such buffers around surface water bodies and setbacks from property lines where confined animal feeding operations and their associated waste application fields would be banned. Data from three counties in southern Georgia were analyzed to determine how much land would be made unavailable by the placement of various buffers. “Available land” after restrictions ranged from 63% of total land for 30.5 m (100 ft) buffers and setbacks, to 7% of total land with 152.5 m (500 ft) buffers and setbacks. “Available land” was based strictly on the size of properties after restrictions were placed and did not include consideration of whether the property owner was interested in starting an animal feeding operation or selling the land. The possibility of combining properties to make larger tracts was also not analyzed. Although it did not provide answers to all questions that need to be asked, the GIS system was demonstrated as a useful tool in obtaining some objective data on the cost to society of placing protective buffers.