By Barbara Brown

Every year, the shorelines along Chisago Countyís chains of lakes erode just a little more.

Development, chemicals from lawn products and continual beatings from waves created by boats are causing some of the lake side shores to shrink.

Losing property that abuts a lake may seem like the most devastating impact of erosion, but that is the least concern of the Department of Natural Resources and the East Central Soil and Water Conservation District.

Multiple ecosystems, of both plants and animals, rely on the nutrients and natural cover provided by shores.

Thatís why employees at the Chisago County Government Center, along with the DNR, volunteer residents and the soil and water conservation district teamed up to set a good example of protecting shorelines.

A group of volunteers gathered at the shore of North Center Lake, adjacent to the Chisago County Government Center, on June 3 to get down and dirty planting aquatic and dry grasses, wildflowers and reeds that will help reestablish and protect the shoreline there.

The plan for the Government Center project was a 20-foot swath along the east shore behind the building.

The project was organized by Mary Darragh Schmitz, county water planner.

ìThis is something weíve wanted to do for a long time,î Schmitz said.

The money to pay for the project ñ about $550 ñ came from the auction of a county vehicle that was no longer used.

ìThe idea here is we are trying to show people what we would like to see happen on their shores rather than mowing right down to the lake,î Schmitz said.

One of the benefits of such projects, said DNR hydrologist Mike Mueller, is that the shoreline quickly becomes a low maintenance part of the yard.

ìWhy would you want to be a slave to your lawn when you could have flowers all season long,î he asked.

Mueller said the shoreline ecosystem takes little maintenance. It basically keeps itself in line, he said, but it would need to be completely mowed or burned every three or four years.

Mueller said with the dramatic slope of the back lawn at the Government Center, erosion was beginning to create a problem.

He said the new grasses, flowers and reeds will help the ground stabilize, but also filter out any pesticides used on the property.

ìEven when the water levels fluctuate, the roots of these kinds of plants go so deep, they latch in there and keep hold,î Mueller said.

Mueller said the filtering properties of the plants is important because the chemicals contained in the lawn treatments used at the Government Center and many lakeshore properties.

Those chemicals filter through the lawn and drain into lakes when rain comes. The chemicals then are consumed by living creatures and often times kill them.

Without some of those basic single-cell creatures, all forms of life in the lake can suffer.

ìThe whole food chain of the lake starts at the shoreline,î Mueller said. ìSnails, crustaceans, plants invertebrates ñ they all live on the shores and without them youíve got algae bloom which kills other things in the lake.î

The DNR and other agencies like the East Central Soil and Water Conservation District like programs like the shoreline restorations because they are inexpensive for homeowners and are able to be completed in about half a day.

ìRock is a good alternative, but this is less expensive,î Mueller said. ìAnd this is a great project that the landowner can do themselves.î

As the crew worked, sewing oat and wildflower seed and planting aquatic grasses and iris, three women talked about how they might implement the program at their own homes.

Shannon Schirber of Lindstrom said she showed up at the Government Center so she could help out and learn how to do the project first hand.

ìI was thinking about doing something like this at my house,î said Schirber, who has shoreline property.

ìThe best way to learn about something is hands-on,î said Mary Noard, office support supervisor for the Health and Human Services Department.

ìThis is easy because we have so many people helping out,î added Bev Anderson, fiscal officer in the public health department. ìItís a lot of fun.î

Not only will the shoreline project at the Government Center help keep erosion down, but it will serve as an example to others.

ìWe want to become good neighbors and a good example so weíre looking in to ways to do that while maintaining quality grounds,î said County Administrator John Moosey.

ìIf weíre encouraging property owners to do these kinds of things, we need to do them ourselves, too.î

Mueller said the shoreline planting kit is available at Prairie Restorations in Princeton and more information is available at the DNR Web site and at www.shorelinemanagement.com.

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