Approximately 40 percent of the French Creek Watershed’s land is dedicated to agricultural use.  Row cropping and pasturing along waterways have been demonstrated to increase stream bank erosion and sedimentation, impair critical riparian (streamside) buffer zones, and increase the flow of fertilizers and chemicals into local streams.  Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as no till planting, crop nutrient management, pest management, stream bank fencing, and animal feeding operations management are effective procedures that can sustain and improve water quality while maintaining effective agricultural production.