Excessive phosphorus (P) in runoff contributes to eutrophication of fresh water bodies. Studies have shown that manure and effluent from animal feeding operations (AFOs) applied to waste application fields (WAFs) have contributed to excess P in segments of the North Bosque River in north central Texas. There is a growing need for environmentally sound, economically viable, and easily implemented best management practices (BMPs) to control such pollution. Vegetative buffer strips offer a potential solution for reducing runoff P from WAFs by extracting it from soil and reducing sediment P delivery to streams by decreasing runoff and soil erosion. In a field study, ten plots (5 m 5 m) were assigned to five replicated treatments, namely control (bare ground), cool-season grass, warm-season forb, warm-season grass, and warm-season legume, to assess their efficacy for runoff sediment control and P sequestration. Plots were established on a coastal Bermuda grass WAF that received dairy lagoon effluent. Runoff collection systems were installed on the upstream and downstream margins of each plot. Natural rainfall runoff samples were collected and analyzed for total P, dissolve reactive P, and total suspended solids (TSS). Additionally, the total mass of runoff collected from each subplot was estimated. Results show that the warm-season forb and warm-season grass covers were the most effective treatments for reduction of runoff P, primarily due to reduced sediment content in the runoff compared to other treatments.