How Healthy is Your Shoreline?
The area where the lake meets the land is one of the most abundant natural environments that many of us will have the opportunity to experience. Ninety percent of all lake and river life is born, raised, and fed in the shoreline of your waterfront property. However, many land owners opt to remove this vegetated shoreline to create better access to the lake. Little do they know, by removing the natural shoreline and choosing harder structures such as retaining walls, there is often a higher financial and environmental cost down the road. Not only do these structures reduce biodiversity, they also promote erosion by deflecting wave and wind energy onto neighbouring shorelines. In the absence of vegetation, there are no roots to stabilize soil which leaves it exposed to wind, waves, and surface runoff. Increased sediment input into the aquatic habitat may damage spawning beds and reduce water clarity. Eventually, these concrete structures will start to breakdown themselves, leaving the rest of your property vulnerable to erosion.
There is a solution in which both property owners and the aquatic ecosystems may benefit and work together towards healthy lake living. Maintaining or planting a buffer zone of native vegetation along your shoreline creates a natural retaining wall by absorbing wave energy. Plants along the shoreline slow surface runoff and filter contaminants before they reach the lake. This also provides food and shelter for fish and other species, and protects your property from disappearing into the lake. In the long run, naturalized shorelines mean less work and more time to enjoy the lake!
Quick Tips!
- Consider leaving areas around your property “untouched”. Keep large rocks, fallen tree limbs and brush piles where they are to provide habitat for wildlife. Leave aquatic plants intact as they support the insects that fish eat, are a food source for birds, they stabilize loose sediment, and are an important component of oxygen cycling within the lake. Plant native vegetation in your garden as they will thrive with minimal care, less water, and they will support native pollinators.
- Protect the natural shoreline by replanting areas that lack trees and shrubs, and maintain the areas that already exist. Keep any development at least 30 metres from the water.
- Build a fish friendly dock structure. Floating docks are the most fish friendly as they don’t disturb the lake bed and cause minimal shading of aquatic plants while allowing for the free flow of water underneath.
- To assess the health of the shoreline on your property, check out our “How Healthy is My Shoreline?” brochure. This resource contains a quiz that acts as a guide to gauge whether your shoreline could be improved or not and offers simple tips for sustainable shoreline management.
Aquatic ecosystems are very vulnerable to climate change. Even small changes such as warming lake temperature can cause big impacts to the sensitive aquatic community. Not only will extreme heat events become more common, but the frequency of intense rainfalls will increase, leading to more flooding and storm events that may increase erosion and runoff, effecting shoreline infrastructure. Now, more than ever, it is important that we take proactive steps to minimize the impacts to shoreline habitats. By maintaining a natural shoreline, you may mitigate some of the effects of climate change and support aquatic species that are already facing uncertainty with a changing climate.
References:
The Shore Primer
A Shoreline Owner’s Guide to Healthy Waterfronts
Shoreline Guidance Document: Kootenay Lake
Post by: Marie McCallum
