The State of North Carolina has promoted riparian buffers in several regulatory programs in order to reduce nonpoint source pollution from agricultural fields. The acceptance of riparian buffers by the State was due to the research and extension efforts of Wendell Gilliam, who began studying buffer effectiveness in the early 1980’s. Data from Wendell's early work as well as from two-ongoing buffer studies that were started by Wendell will be presented. An upland site has shown nitrogen reductions averaging around 30% for buffer widths of 25 and 50 feet. The second site, located next to a swine spray field, has much higher nitrate reductions (>95%) in the upper groundwater wells and about 50% for the lower groundwater wells.  The impact of this work on current buffer regulations in the State of North Carolina will also be presented.