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Restore your
shore
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| A property owner's natural view
of the lake. |
Shorelands are an important
part of a healthy lake ecosystem. Near shore plants provide habitat for
many wildlife species. Natural shorelines are also wildlife highways, or
travel corridors, for animals such as mink. Leaving a buffer area of natural
vegetation along the shoreline, property owners can:
- provide habitat and travel corridors for wildlife
- enjoy a natural lake view and increase their privacy
- muffle noise from watercraft
- reduce erosion and polluted
runoff
- help maintain water quality
How you manage your shoreline will determine how attractive
it is to birds, frogs, turtles, fish,
and other wildlife.
What is a shoreland buffer?
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| A stand of native shoreland plants
buffers a lawn from the lake. |
A shoreland buffer zone is an area of native vegetation
along the water’s edge. It can extend both onto the land and into
the water. Wisconsin's statewide shoreland
zoning rules (NR 115) set minimum standards for shoreland buffer widths
(35 feet) and setback of structures (75 feet). Local
governments can set more protective standards for their lakes.
There is not a “one-size-fits-all” buffer
width that will keep the water clean, stabilize the bank, protect fish
and wildlife, and satisfy human demands on the land, although any amount
of natural shoreland is better than none.
Goals of shoreland restoration
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| The native plants in this buffer
strip remain green while turf grass browns |
Natural shoreland buffers contain a lush mixture of
native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees that help to filter polluted runoff,
control erosion and flooding, provide important habitat for animals in the
water and on the land, and provide an attractive privacy screen for waterfront
property owners.
The goal of restoring native vegetation in a buffer zone
is to bring back these ecological habitats and their benefits to our lakes.
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