Healthy shorelines are essential in preserving and improving water quality on lakes. Managing water runoff and maintaining vegetation and native species are crucial to protecting Balsam Lake and all the wildlife that calls it home. Below are resources about best management practices. For further instructions or questions feel free to contact the district, in some situations the District can offer or help acquire cost share funds to install shoreline restoration projects. The Polk County Land and Water Resources Department also offers site visits to discuss shoreline restoration and best practices for specific properties.
Native Shoreline Buffer
The root systems and soil structure of native plantings Act like sponges – absorbing rainfall and runoff before it reaches the lake. This provides important beneficial services like filtering out nutrients and sediment, slowing the flow of water, and anchoring sediment in place to prevent shoreline erosion. Planting native gardens along the water edge also provide important habitat for wildlife and maintains the connectivity of the land – water interface. There are countless native trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers of all shape, sizes and colors that can enhance the beauty of your waterfront while also protecting water quality, and providing shoreland stabilization and important wildlife habitat. You can learn more about these benefits, reference example planting lists and maps, and all the potential native plants in this technical guidance document and in this comprehensive list of native Wisconsin species.
Rain Garden
Rain gardens are an excellent tool to manage runoff. They utilize the services provided by native plants to filter and facilitate infiltration of water into groundwater and once established are quite low maintenance. While there is a lot to consider when planning a rain garden there are may great resources that can provide detailed instructions such as this rain garden technical guidance publication.
Woody Habitat
Trees that fall into the lakes serve important purposes in the lake ecosystem. The trees create food, shelter, and breeding area for all kinds of animals including insects, fish, turtles, ducks, and even songbirds. This woody habitat also protects the shore from wave and wind energy which helps prevent erosion from starting or progressing. To learn more about all the amazing benefits of trees in lakes check out this publication.
Native plants vs Lawns (& Lawn Care)
While turf grass has roots that are about 1-2 inches deep, and most ornamental plants common in landscaping have roots that are between 1-2′ in depth, the prairie plants native to Wisconsin all generally have root systems around 5′ deep with some species reaching depths of up to 15′. The much deeper and extensive root systems do a better job of stabilizing soils. These massive root systems also do a much better job of helping water to infiltrate into soils and uptake nutrients simply due to their greater size and density. Once established, native plants require less maintenance than turf lawns. Installed along the lake edge they are also an excellent deterrent against geese who seek out large flat empty spaces like lawns and avoid vegetation were predators could be lurking.
If you do have area of turf lawn on your lakefront property, there are still important steps you can take when caring for it to help safeguard the lake. This includes utilizing zero phosphorus fertilizer. Keep leaves, grass clippings, yard waste and all other organic matter out of the lake. All of these natural materials contain phosphorus and when they break down in the lake, they are adding that phosphorus to our lake system. While some fall leaves will naturally end up in the lake, do not increase the issue by blowing fall leaves into the lake. One pound of phosphorus can contribute to the growth of about 500 pounds of algae. To learn more about how to manage your lakefront property to safeguard water quality reference this brochure.
Managing water runoff and erosion
The way that water move across the near shore area can have significant impacts on water quality and erosion of near shore areas. If you are having difficulty with erosion on your property, consider utilizing this shoreline stabilization guide to help pinpoint the potential sources causing erosion on your property and explore remidiation options. If youwould like help undertaking a project or evaluating the issues of your shoreline the Lake District can help put you in touch with professionals to preform a site visit and evaluation.
While managing runoff is important in general, managing runoff during construction and development is even more essential because of the disturbance it causes. If construction or significant disturbance is taking place be sure to consult local zoning laws and ensure there are proper plans for runoff mitigation for the project duration. To learn more about how impervious surfaces impact runoff and lakeshore quality and habitat, reference this helpful educational publication. For other general good shoreland runoff practices see the options below.
Infiltration Trench
An excavated trench filled with rock can reduce runoff by capturing and holding water underground to allow more time for it to infiltrate. Allowing water time to infiltrate via trench also filters out and cleans the runoff of sediment and some nutrients that would otherwise run directly to the lake. This practice can be effective in sandy and loamy locations, areas that are heavy in clay are not suitable. For more information and best practices as well as installation planning and guidance, reference this document.
French Drain (Infiltration pit)
Infiltration pits are similar to infiltration trenches but they are deeper and designed for smaller or more topographically limited areas. Infiltration pits are also able to utilized in a greater variety of soil types. Similar to trenches, these pits also help to filter sediment and nutrients from captured runoff, reducing the amount of pollutants reaching the lake. This publication contains more detailed information and instructions.
Rain Barrels
Rain barrels can be an effective tool to capture runoff and direct it elsewhere in a controlled manner. Collected water can be used to water plants and lawns or can simply be discharged away from homes and structures to a grassy area or rain garden to allow for adequate infiltration into groundwater. Many styles of rain barrels are available commercially otherwise they are quite simple to make yourself.
