Lakescaping, Dr. Rebecca Schneider, click here. - Occainfo.org
Lakescaping, Dr. Rebecca Schneider, click here. - Occainfo.org
Lakescaping, Dr. Rebecca Schneider, click here. - Occainfo.org
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<strong>Lakescaping</strong>:<br />
WHYs and HOW-TOs<br />
27 June 2012<br />
Otsego Co. Planning Dept.<br />
<strong>Rebecca</strong> <strong>Schneider</strong><br />
Dept. Natural Resources<br />
Cornell University<br />
with materials from<br />
Jamie Vanucchi<br />
Dept. Landscape Architecture<br />
SUNY- ESF
TALK OUTLINE<br />
• Goals<br />
• Plant Communities of Healthy Lakeshores<br />
• Processes and Ecosystem Services<br />
• Human Impacts to Lakeshores<br />
• Creating a Healthy, Attractive Lakeshore<br />
• Step 1: Planning<br />
• Step 2: Site Preparation<br />
• Step 3: Planting<br />
• Step 4: Maintenance<br />
• Case Study: Chautauqua Lake Shoreline
Goals<br />
• Increase awareness of the benefits of good<br />
shoreline management.<br />
• Provide overview of the steps for creating<br />
a healthy lakeshore.<br />
• Improve the health and appearance of<br />
New York’s lake shorelines<br />
Why Healthy Lakeshores are Important<br />
The key to successful lakescaping is understanding<br />
what a healthy<br />
shoreline ecosystem is and<br />
how it functions.
Plant Communities in Healthy, Natural Lake Shorelines<br />
Lakeshore buffers include a diverse<br />
mixture of native trees, shrubs,<br />
herbaceous, and aquatic plants which<br />
have their roots in a rich soil matrix,<br />
and are in close contact with groundwater.
Shorelines are naturally dynamic!<br />
Different types of plants have adaptations to deal with<br />
the average and extreme hydrologic conditions<br />
that they will experience.
DISTANCE (M)<br />
Hydrologic regime<br />
in coastal plain<br />
Pond wetlands, Long Island,<br />
NY
Flooding occurs to aboveground<br />
foliage and to belowground roots.
ADAPTATIONS TO FLOODING<br />
• seed dispersal<br />
• seed germination cues<br />
• seedling establishment<br />
• adult survivorship<br />
• morphological<br />
• physiological<br />
• behavioral
Floating - leaf<br />
Woody trees/shrubs<br />
Emergent<br />
herbaceous<br />
Submersed<br />
Upland<br />
Trees/<br />
Shrubs Marsh<br />
Emergent Floating leaf & submersed<br />
MAJOR TYPES OF SHORELINE PLANTS
U.S. Fish & Wildlife / EPA Wetland Plant Types:<br />
•Obligative upland – red oak (Quercus rubra)<br />
•Facultative upland – sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)<br />
•Facultative wetland – red maple trees (Acer rubrum)<br />
•Obligative wetland – cattails (Typha spp.)<br />
http://plants.usda.gov/wetinfo.html
Processes and Ecosystem Services of Healthy Shorelines<br />
Aboveground leaves and stems<br />
intercept the water flow, slow it down,<br />
causing deposition of materials.<br />
substrate
Vegetation intercepts flowing water, slowing down<br />
currents, and reducing erosive wave energy.<br />
Distichlis spicata
Plant foliage shades<br />
and cools the water,<br />
keeping it suitable<br />
for aquatic<br />
<strong>org</strong>anisms.
Aboveground foliage provides<br />
nursery areas and refugia for juvenile fish,<br />
as well as habitat and food for aquatic insects.
Vegetated shorelines are habitat for wildlife<br />
worth watching.
Belowground<br />
Roots help<br />
stabilize soil and<br />
reduce erosion.
Belowground:<br />
Porous, <strong>org</strong>anic soils<br />
encourage infiltration of water<br />
and reduce overland runoff.<br />
Wetland Soil Composition:<br />
• <strong>org</strong>anic matter, e.g.<br />
decomposing leaves, etc.<br />
accumulates because<br />
anaerobic conditions<br />
• roots<br />
• microbes<br />
• mineral soil grains, pores<br />
• animals (worms, insects)
Belowground<br />
Groundwater flows from uplands<br />
down into lakes but<br />
goes through wetland soils.
Wetlands filter out contaminants<br />
from groundwater and improve<br />
water quality.<br />
Mechanisms:<br />
• adsorption onto soil<br />
particles (o.m., clays)<br />
• microbial transformations<br />
• root uptake of nutrients<br />
Aboveground:<br />
• plant foliage provides sites<br />
for microbial films.
Example: Removal of nitrate by vegetated buffers<br />
Effectiveness of removal of nitrate as a function<br />
of riparian buffer width.<br />
(summary of data from ~10 studies.<br />
Haycock et al. 1993 Ambio 22: 340-346)
Vegetated shorelines help buffer<br />
impacts of ice scour.
Vegetated shorelines deter Canada geese which like<br />
to forage, rest, nest (and mess!)<br />
on lawns near water w<strong>here</strong> they can<br />
see predators and escape quickly.
TALK OUTLINE<br />
Human impacts<br />
• Goals<br />
• Plant Communities of Healthy Lakeshores<br />
• Processes and Ecosystem Services<br />
• Human Impacts to Lakeshores<br />
• Creating a Healthy, Attractive Lakeshore<br />
• Step 1: Planning<br />
• Step 2: Site Preparation<br />
• Step 3: Planting<br />
• Step 4: Maintenance<br />
• Case Study: Chautauqua Lake Shoreline
Bulk heads and other types of “hardening”<br />
remove most ecosystem services and also<br />
bounce wave energy to other shorelines.
Shoreline armoring is occurring<br />
across our freshwater and estuary habitats.
Chautauqua Lake Shorelines<br />
Jamestown, NY 2010<br />
lawn/mud<br />
hardened<br />
vegetative<br />
Bing-Livesearch aerial imagery<br />
Analysis by Miranda Reid
On-site wastewater systems along lakeshores<br />
are frequently a source of nutrients, pathogens,<br />
and other contaminants.
Runoff of fertilizers and pesticides used to maintain<br />
lawns contaminates lake waters and impacts wildlife.
A Comparison of Healthy and Unhealthy Shorelines
TALK OUTLINE<br />
Human impacts<br />
• Goals<br />
• Plant Communities of Healthy Lakeshores<br />
• Processes and Ecosystem Services<br />
• Human Impacts to Lakeshores<br />
• Creating a Healthy, Attractive Lakeshore<br />
• Step 1: Planning<br />
• Step 2: Site Preparation<br />
• Step 3: Planting<br />
• Step 4: Maintenance<br />
• Case Study: Chautauqua Lake Shoreline
HOW TO CREATE YOUR HEALTHY LAKESHORE<br />
Healthy, lakescaped buffer provides seasonal array<br />
of colors, textures, aromas, and continual wildlife activity.<br />
The buffer zone doesn’t have to look unkempt.<br />
It can be colorful, ordered, and textured.
How to Create a Healthy Lakeshore<br />
Step 1: PLANNING<br />
1. Look around at healthy shorelines >><br />
What types of wildflowers, grasses, trees shrubs do you see?<br />
What do you want your shoreline to look like?<br />
2. Collect some basic information about your existing shoreline:<br />
• dimensions,<br />
• slope,<br />
• existing plants,<br />
• soil type.<br />
3. Figure out your budget and resources.<br />
4. Find out local regulations about grading, siltation control,<br />
taking plants.<br />
5. Consider conducting your project in phases.
How to Create a Healthy Lakeshore<br />
Sketch out your design on some graph paper so you can<br />
estimate number of plants, locations.
How to Create a Healthy Lakeshore<br />
Design Guidelines to Improve Lakeshore Functions<br />
• Back away from the edge with buildings and other<br />
structures.<br />
• Minimize expanse of lawn and replace with island<br />
patches of shrubs, trees, mulch and flowers.<br />
• Replace cement paths and other impervious<br />
surfaces with stone, gravel, brick.<br />
• Use mulch wood chips for paths or surround<br />
flat stones.
Steep vertical slopes<br />
should be completely<br />
vegetated to prevent erosion<br />
OR<br />
graded to a<br />
slope of 1:3 or more gentle<br />
Steep Slope<br />
Management
Contouring with<br />
willow or red-osier<br />
dogwood stakes,<br />
fascines can be<br />
used for stabilizing<br />
serious erosion.
How to Create a Healthy Lakeshore<br />
• If you want a clear viewscape of the water, then plant lower shrubs<br />
in front of house and gradually increase height of vegetation<br />
as move towards property borders.<br />
• Curve paths that head to water - straight paths down slopes<br />
channel the flow that causes gullies.<br />
• Consider selecting plants that<br />
take turns blooming over the<br />
growing season.<br />
• 20-25 ft wide buffers is<br />
preferable<br />
but even 10 ft provides<br />
benefits!<br />
Design Guidelines
• Select species that are tolerant of the flooding<br />
conditions and / or saturated soils that they will<br />
experience along the topographic gradient.<br />
• Include a diverse mixture of trees, shrubs, emergent<br />
and submerged wetland species.<br />
• Buy, or if allowed, transplant<br />
from nearby areas.<br />
• Avoid exotic, invasive<br />
plant species.<br />
How to Create a Healthy Lakeshore<br />
Plant Selection<br />
Purple loosestrife
Design example 1<br />
BEFORE<br />
Problem Areas<br />
Vast expanse<br />
of lawn<br />
that impacts<br />
water quality<br />
From <strong>Lakescaping</strong> for Wildlife and Water Quality<br />
Minnesota Dept. Natural Resources<br />
Exposed,<br />
erodable<br />
shoreilne<br />
substrate<br />
No plants for<br />
erosion control<br />
or wildlife
Design Example 1<br />
Trees, shrubs, herbs<br />
replace open lawn<br />
Curving pathway<br />
to water<br />
Vegetated shoreline
Design<br />
Example<br />
2<br />
Viewscape<br />
Is maintained<br />
Vegetated<br />
Slopes<br />
Reduce<br />
erosion
How to Create a Healthy Lakeshore<br />
Step 2: LAND PREPARATION<br />
• A good time to work is at low water level in July, August<br />
to minimize disturbing sediments.<br />
• W<strong>here</strong>ver possible remove bulkheads and walls.<br />
• It may be necessary to use hay bales or other erosion<br />
collectors along slope toe during construction<br />
crest<br />
• Grade slope face to a stable angle and shape;<br />
• Protect the face from raindrop splash with matting.<br />
• Intercept or prevent seepage from forming at crest.<br />
• Divert or intercept upland water flow away from crest.<br />
face<br />
toe
If armoring is critical for permanent erosion control,<br />
use rocks which absorb some wave energy,<br />
just along the toe of the slope,<br />
and couple it with a buffer of plantings.
How to Create a Healthy Lakeshore<br />
Step 3: PLANTING<br />
• Plant a vegetated buffer including, a mixture of trees and<br />
shrubs at upper elevations and wetland<br />
herbaceous plants nearer the bottom.<br />
• Figure on about 1 – 2 herbaceous plants per<br />
10 ft 2 of shoreline.<br />
• You may want to use matting to hold soil in place,<br />
then cut holes at desired locations for planting.
A Successful<br />
<strong>Lakescaping</strong><br />
Project
How to Create a Healthy Lakeshore<br />
Step 4 MAINTENANCE<br />
• Maintenance is critical early on to get plantings going.<br />
• Young plants need watering until their roots get well established.<br />
• May need some replacements<br />
• Weed out undesirables from the in-between areas.
TALK OUTLINE<br />
• Goals<br />
• Plant Communities of Healthy Lakeshores<br />
• Processes and Ecosystem Services<br />
• Human Impacts to Lakeshores<br />
• Creating a Healthy, Attractive Lakeshore<br />
• Step 1: Planning<br />
• Step 2: Site Preparation<br />
• Step 3: Planting<br />
• Step 4: Maintenance<br />
• Case Study: Chautauqua Lake Shoreline<br />
Jamie Vanucchi, SUNY ESF
Case Study: Chautauqua Lake
Resources For Shoreland Design and Buffer Creation<br />
University of Wisconsin Extension Service<br />
Shoreland Restoration: Good step-by-step on website<br />
also. A Growing Solution #GWQ032 is a video w/step-by-step methods<br />
to plan and implement a vegetative buffer zone. Available at<br />
http://www1.uwex.edu/ces/pubs/order.cfm<br />
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources<br />
<strong>Lakescaping</strong> for Wildlife and Water Quality. The book is available from<br />
Minnesota's Bookstore (1-800-657-3757) http://www.minnesotasbookstore.com<br />
Restore Your Shore CD-ROM Available from Minnesota's Bookstore (1-800-<br />
657-3757) http://www.minnesotasbookstore.com Watch for "Restore Your<br />
Shore to be added to the DNR Web site.<br />
University of Minnesota Extension Service<br />
Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series<br />
http://www.sustland.umn.edu/design/water3.html<br />
GOOD LUCK PLANTING!!