Make Your Property "Lake Friendly"

The Lake Ripley Management District strongly encourages lakefront property owners to adopt sound landscaping practices along their shorelines. Too often, people are unaware of how the cumulative impacts of their actions can degrade the larger ecosystem. Clear-cutting native vegetation to establish large expanses of turf grass or sand beaches right up to the water's edge is one such example.

The "suburbanization" of lakes can create a host of problems. Sea walls, boat ramps, sand beaches, and manicured lawns to the water's edge have all been shown to be detrimental to water quality and fish/wildlife habitat. For example, the typical lawn is a non-native monoculture offering little habitat value or protection against shoreline erosion (due to the shallow root structure of lawn grasses). A lawn also requires a lot of maintenance in the form of pesticide and fertilizer applications, regular mowing, and the need to water during dry weather conditions. During large rain storms, the short and flexible grass blades over compacted soils do little to prevent stormwater runoff from flushing pollutants into the lake. Once in the lake, fertilizers and other pollutants harm aquatic life and can contribute to excessive weed and algae growth. Finally, a mowed lawn up to the water's edge is inviting to congregating geese. Large groups of waterfowl can damage property, pollute the lake, and have been linked to outbreaks of Swimmers Itch.

To combat these problems, lakefront property owners are advised to maintain or establish a native "buffer strip" between the lake and a lawn. Buffer strips should be as wide as possible, and planted with deep-rooting sedges, grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees that are native to the area. Paths can then be added to access piers and boat hoists. These types of shoreline-restoration efforts are often eligible for up to 50% cost sharing. They are usually found to be quite affordable for most landowners, and can greatly improve the natural scenic beauty of the shore.