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Impact of development
on lakes
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| A natural shoreline
(left) next to a manicured lawn (right) |
All of us have an impact on the health of Wisconsin
lakes. Small actions (such as removing shoreland vegetation) by individuals
may have little measurable effect in and of themselves, however many small
impacts by many individuals within the watershed
cumulatively add up and affect the quality of our lakes. Sometimes impacts,
such as dramatically changing land use patterns, are large and directly
effect our lakes. Impacts can be positive or negative in regard to the health
and the long-term sustainability of our lakes.
Increasing development density within a lake's watershed
can negatively impact our lakes in the following ways:
Minimizing impacts on lakes
Damage to lakes can be minimized when new homes and businesses
are located and designed to have the smallest possible impact on lakes.
Techniques to minimize impacts include:
- Setting back structures away from the shoreline (helps
minimize polluted runoff)
- Maintaining natural shorelines (helps preserve the
view and fish and wildlife habitat)
- Concentrating structures on an area of land and leaving
open space (helps preserve the view and fish and wildlife habitat)
- Minimizing the amount of impervious surfaces such
as driveways and roads (helps minimize polluted runoff)
Local governments
have used a variety of tools—lake
classification, comprehensive "Smart Growth" planning, strengthening
shoreland zoning standards, developing ordinances— to help protect
lakes and plan for development within the watershed.
Lakefront property owners
also play a critical role in determining their lakes future water quality
and health through how they manage their properties.
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