{"id":9069,"date":"2019-02-01T11:10:00","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T16:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/?p=9069"},"modified":"2024-08-13T13:48:23","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T17:48:23","slug":"landscaping-options-buffer-zones-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/2019\/02\/01\/landscaping-options-buffer-zones-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Landscaping Options \u2013 Buffer Zones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By David Ernes \u2013 Lake Management Committee<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In many cases, lakes located in areas away from human development tend to be clear and clean. However, once humans build homes, and construct docks, the natural state of the land is disturbed. In the 2007 National Lakes Assessment, a study of thousands of lakes across the continental US, lakeshore habitat change was the number one stressor for a lake\u2019s biological condition. In the 2012 Assessment, habitat changes, coupled with increasing phosphorous are major stressors. When we replace porous soil with impervious concrete or asphalt, or remove local plants and trees and replace then with lawns and open spaces, we eliminate nature\u2019s ability to keep bodies of water clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what can be done? You may have heard the term \u201cbuffer zones\u201d or riparian zones. This is an approach where the area between a lawn and the lakeshore is modified by planting bushes and other plant materials that will reduce erosion and filter run-off before reaching the lake. There are numerous articles on the Internet describing the types of plants that are most beneficial and are beyond the scope of this article. In many cases, plants are selected that are natural for the area, to prevent non-native plants from growing out of control and causing a greater problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one travels on our lake, you can\nsee that almost all lakefront properties are unique. The slope of the land, the\nshape of the shoreline, and the proximity of our neighbors all make for unique\nsituations. Not every situation can add a buffer zone at the shore. However,\nthat does not mean that you cannot help. If one is thinking of making changes\nto their lawn and shoreline, take a look at the area. Can you use a rip-rap (use\nof rocks for shoreline control of erosion) instead of a retaining wall? Are\nthere open areas next to your dock that you can have plants run up to the\nshoreline. If you have a steep slope, can you have a buffer zone before the\nslope that can filter run-off and prevent the edge from eroding. Think before\nremoving large trees near the shore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, you don\u2019t need to just be on\nthe lakeshore to use this approach. Many lots back into a field, creek, ditch,\nculvert or drain. Run-off from all properties, not just lakefront, eventually\nwinds its way into the lake. Keeping a buffer at the edge of the lawn can help\nto keep the nutrient levels in check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are numerous examples on the\nInternet where this approach has lead to an improvement in water quality. The\nWisconsin Lakeshore Restoration Project is one example. The Portland Water\nDistrict has a brochure titled \u201cLakes Like Less Lawn\u201d, which outlines their\nprogram for environmental landscaping. So, if you are looking to make changes\nto your landscaping in the spring, consider the design and see if you can\ninclude bushes, trees and other plant material to improve not only your lot but\nthe lake as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By David Ernes \u2013 Lake Management Committee In many cases, lakes located in areas away from human development tend to be clear and clean. However, once humans build homes, and construct docks, the natural state of the land is disturbed. In the 2007 National Lakes Assessment, a study of thousands of lakes across the continental … Continue reading “Landscaping Options \u2013 Buffer Zones”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,34,641,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lake-management-articles","category-sediment-control-sub-committee","category-lmc-best-practices","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9069\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.roamingshores.org\/RRA1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}