 November/December 2000 | ||||
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More Stories: Minnesota’s Sturgeon Resurgence Where have all the big pike gone? Where are Minnesota’s biggest bucks? Conservation plates net $2 million so far Slot limits measure up on Winnie Antlerless-only permits not a solution
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Lakescaping takes root
Carolyn Halbur likes wildlife as much as anyone. But the Canada geese invading her large lawn on Fish Lake in Maple Grove were too much. Two dozen or more of the big, brazen birds patrolled her yard each summer. A single adult goose produces roughly 2 pounds of excrement per day. Just do the math. “We'd try to take friends down to the pontoon and just walking on the lawn became a slippery mess,” says Halbur. “We just had had it.” Next summer, things will be different. The geese should not return, because Halbur has converted most of the lawn to native plantings such as butterfly flower, coneflower, Indian grass, and black-eyed Susans. The tall plants discourage geese, which prefer open lawns where they can graze and keep an eye out for predators. Additional benefits are forthcoming, as the native vegetation takes root and attracts songbirds and butterflies. New aquatic plants such as bulrushes in the shallow water will buffer waves and reduce bank erosion. A reduction in lawn mowing and fertilizing will provide the Halburs with more free time while reducing the amount of phosphorus washing into the lake. “This is such a beautiful lake, but since we've been here six years we've seen more and more new homes take out all the trees and shoreland vegetation,” Halbur says. “We have three daughters, and we wanted to do something so the lake would be as beautiful for them in the future as it is today.” State-supported project The Halbur's Fish Lake lakeshore restoration is one of 14 demonstration sites funded by the state as recommended by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR). The project aims to promote the protection and stewardship of shoreline habitat through education and hands-on demonstration sites. The LCMR shoreland ecosystem restoration project also funded 14 day-long workshops throughout the state from April through October in 2000. At each workshop, 30 to 60 shoreland property owners, natural resource professionals, and interested citizens got a crash course in lake ecology and lakeshore landscaping. Taught by agency shoreland managers, educators, and landscape professionals, the course was based on the book Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality, written by Carrol Henderson, DNR Nongame Wildlife Program supervisor, Carolyn Dindorf, a soil and water conservationist from the Hennepin Conservation District, and Fred Rozumalski, a landscape architect and ecologist who specializes in lakeshore sites. “The objective of the workshops was to advance the understanding of shoreland ecology and the damage caused by certain human development,” says Jan Shaw Wolff, workshop coordinator with the DNR Division of Ecological Resources. “The ultimate goal is to protect and restore shorelands throughout the state.” A total of 470 participants took part in the workshops. DNR wildlife, fisheries, and nongame biologists, plant ecologists, hydrologists, and other experts teamed up to lead the Saturday sessions and provide information on native plant communities, fish and wildlife habitat, exotic species problems, and water quality assessment. Participants also practiced assessing a shoreline property and developed a buffer zone plan. Says Halbur, who attended one of the first workshops last spring, “It was absolutely astounding. I learned so much that I couldn't wait to get out and start going to work on our property.” Too much turf The problem with many lakeshore cabin and home lots, says Henderson, is too much turf replacing native vegetation. “Songbirds, herons, butterflies, and other important wildlife need native trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers,” he says. “A mowed lawn only provides habitat for Canada geese and common species such as crows and robins.” Jay Riggs, an urban conservationist with the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District, adds that the growing number of mowed lawns surrounding Minnesota lakes has added to worsening water quality. Fertilizer, clippings, and leaves washing into lakes fuel algae blooms and use up dissolved oxygen needed by fish and other aquatic life. “Another problem is bank erosion,” Riggs says. “You see a lot of these lawns just get eaten away by waves because the roots of sod grass aren’t nearly as long as those of native plants.” Statewide, DNR officials say that development on lakes is the number one problem contributing to the premature aging of lakes. Murky water, reduced game fish populations, and fewer waterfowl are among the ramifications of too much lawn and not enough shoreland vegetation both on shore and in the water. That's why the state is promoting “lakescaping,” a term coined by Henderson to describe an alternative way of landscaping lakeshore sites using native plants. An increase in lakescaping, Henderson says, could help offset the harm done to lakes by the growing number of new lakeside homeowners removing natural vegetation. Too messy for some Despite the popularity of the LCMR project--more than 250 lakeshore property owners applied to be among the 16 demonstration sites--not all lakeshore owners embrace the new aesthetic. “One of the biggest barriers,” says Riggs, “is the tradition of the putting green look. Many people want a clean, mowed look, and that's difficult to get with natural plantings.” Another obstacle, he adds, is that lakeshore owners don't realize there are options to traditional methods of landscaping. On Lake Marion in Dakota County, Riggs is coordinating a demonstration project on a lakeshore site formerly carpeted in turf that led downhill to a failing retaining wall. The landowner had called the DNR about the wall, and the agency put him in touch with Riggs. “I told him about naturalization and he really liked the idea,” Riggs says. “I pointed out that a naturalized shoreline would prevent erosion and stabilize banks as well as riprap and retaining walls, but he'd also improve wildlife habitat and water quality and it would cost less.” Another obstacle to lakescaping is the fear that it would mean restricting recreational activities such as swimming. But Jenny Winkelman, a DNR aquatic plant restoration specialist, points out that lakeshore owners can easily have ample use of their shoreline while still deriving the benefits of a natural shoreline. “Beaches, docks, pathways, etc. can be included in any lakescaping plan,” Winkelman says. And Henderson notes that landowners can plant a formal garden with natives. “It just takes a bit more planning and creativity,” he says. Change of perspective A growing number of gardeners like the new concept. Several master gardeners worked on the Ada Lake demonstration site near Pine River, where more than three dozen native grasses and flowering plants were planted on land and bulrushes were restored in the shallow water offshore. And lakeshore owners are increasingly discovering that lawns aren't all they are cracked up to be. Halbur said her wide, flat yard on Fish Lake had been big enough to hold two full volleyball games. “The thing is, we almost never played volleyball,” she says. “Now we spend substantially less time mowing the lawn and have more time to enjoy the lake--which is why we moved here in the first place.” Editor's note: Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality, published by Minnesota's Bookstore, is a 175-page color book on lakescaping basics that includes information on design, site preparation, and maintenance. To order, call 800-657-3757 or 651 297-3000. To learn more about aquascaping, read Margaret A. Haapoja's article “Aquascaping: The Latest Wave in Lakeshore Design,” in the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. The DNR has also produced a video on the link between shoreline degradation and lake habitat loss, called Save Our Shorelines, available for free rental. Contact your local DNR fisheries or wildlife office. | |||
