Filter strips work best when other conservation practices are used in order to drain water in their direction.

Filter strips were originally used mostly in agriculture, but now are a common practice in urban areas where water quality has become an increasingly important issue.

Filter strips and buffer strips along the edge of agriculture fields can intercept the runoff materials and keep them from leaving the field.

Filter strips and filter drains in sustainable drainage systems (SUDS)

Filter strips are strips of ground where water running off a site can pass, allowing some or all of it to soak away.

Filter strips reduce erosion and the accompanying stream pollution, and can be a best management practice.