Shoreline Stewardship – Protecting the Places We Love

Owning shoreline property is truly special. It may be a place to make lasting family memories, where you plan to retire or maybe where you escape to on the weekends. Regardless, it comes with the wonderful responsibility of helping care for the lake you love.

Below are three actions that will be sure to benefit your lake health with minimal time and costs.

1. Create or Enhance Your Shoreline Buffer

A shoreline buffer – a strip of native vegetation on your property along your shoreline – helps protect against erosion, reduces runoff into your lake and creates important wildlife habitat. Simply leave a section of your lawn near your shoreline unmowed. The seeds that have been carried in by wind and dropped by animals will begin to grow. You can also plant your favourite native trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials. A buffer depth of 30 metres is ideal, though not always possible, so a buffer of any size is better than no buffer at all. 

2. Leave Special Habitat Features 

It’s common to want to clean or tidy our surroundings. If there’s a fallen tree or large branches, a dead standing tree, or “weeds” in our way, we want to remove them. However, these features are important to the lake and provide wildlife habitat. They help reduce erosive forces and are used by wildlife for nesting, raising young, feeding and escaping predators. Plus, removing them could require a permit. 

3. Take Care of Your Septic

If you have a septic tank, it should be pumped every three to five years, depending on the tank size and how frequently it is used. If you have a holding tank, check it regularly making sure it is not full or close to capacity. When your septic or holding tank is being pumped, have it inspected by a licensed professional. If your septic isn’t functioning properly, it can lead to too many nutrients in the lake. This can reduce water quality, harm aquatic life, and even cause algal blooms. 

For more information on how you can show your lake some love, visit LoveYourLake.ca. Love Your Lake is a shoreline assessment program developed by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Watersheds Canada.

Written by Terri-Lee Reid, Freshwater Researcher with the Canadian Wildlife Federation