Seawalls vs. Natural Shoreline Options
Landscaping for Water Quality
Installing a "greenbelt", or a native strip of vegetation, along the shore of the lake can provide a number of benefits. The greenbelt can be as "wild" or as manicured as a landowner wants, and it has many functional values. The goal of greenbelting is to return to a more natural state along the shoreline in order to protect the land and water quality.
Benefits include:
This is a statewide network of natural resource professionals. Their Partnership Objectives are listed below: Train contractors and landscape professionals about shoreline technologies and bioengineered erosion control. Educate property owners about natural shorelines and technologies that benefit lake ecosystems. Research, demonstrate, and develop natural shoreline technologies that benefit lake ecosystems. Encourage local and state policies that promote natural shoreline management. Our local conservation organization, huronpines.org is also a great resource. The Michalik's have recently installed coconut logs, with grasses and native plants on the shore side, and rock in front. This is the recommended solution for erosion control by the DEQ. This allows water to flow freely, getting filtered along the way. It also allows life in the lake free access to and from the lake. They would be happy to show you their success on the lake. Feel free to email [email protected] Sandra is also a member of The Michigan Natural Shoreline Educator Network (SEN). |
The shoreline was losing trees, the tires were
unsightly and not doing the job
of erosion control.
DEQ personnel and Huron Pines staff recommended using coconut logs. We found a company in Florida, GEI, Granite Environmental, that helped us design the beachfront the coir logs and nature plantings.
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After the rocks have been placed, the work is essentially finished. Now it is up to the native plants to fill in any gaps over time.
Natural Shoreline Partnership Newsletter, Summer, 2015
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