Close your eyes and picture your perfect lake landscape. Do you see beautifully manicured lawns and concrete seawalls? Do you have an unobstructed view all the way around the lake, no trees in the way and no tall grasses at the edge of the water? Does everything look neat and tidy?
Unfortunately, what we like to see is the exact opposite of what is good for a lake. Concrete seawalls that replace natural shorelines increase wave action, decrease plant life and animal habitat, and often escalateerosion and sedimentation. A perfectly mowed lawn right up to the edge of the water removes the buffer between the lawn and the lake, allowing runoff of fertilizers and pesticides to flow directly into the lake. Without a buffer, if you are fertilizing your lawn, you are fertilizing the lake, which contributes to weed and algae growth.That perfect, unobstructed view you love so much is equally attractive to Canada geese. And who doesn’t love sitting under a shade tree on a hot summer day? The fish love shade too but there are no shoreline trees to provide it.
Nate Thomas, Indiana DNR Lakes Permitting Biologist, will be speaking at The Wild Rose Moon on April 19th at 7:00 pm. His topic is Shoreline Health ~ Stabilization Techniques and Permitting. He will talk about types of seawalls, healthy shorelines and IDNR jurisdiction. This talk is open to anyone in the area who would like to learn more about this topic.
For more information, contact Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation District at 574-936-2024 x 3, info@marshallcountyswcd.org or www.marshallcountyswcd.org.
By Debbie Palmer
MCSWCD
