HEALTHY LAKES
SHORELINE, RAIN
GARDEN & FISH STICKS
PROJECTS
Shoreline Restorations,
Rain Gardens, and Fish
Sticks
Copyright LJ Reas Environmental Consulting Corp., 2016
2015&EARLY2016HEALTHY
LAKESPROJECTS
• Before and after photos of projects
• Designs
• Recommendations for applying for the grant
• Recommendations to get projects in the ground
• Tips for creating beautiful & functional plantings
WISCONSIN LAKES & RIVERS
ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY
URBANIZED
Photo courtesy WI DNR
~Loss of critical habitat
~Increased shoreline and slope erosion
~More contaminants carried to lake by runoff
WHATDOLANDOWNERSWANT
TOSEE?THIS……….
Photo courtesy WI DNR
…..ORTHIS?
Photo courtesy WI DNR
HOWABOUTTHIS?
Photo courtesy Green Lake RSVP
ORATLEASTTHIS?
Photo courtesy Green Lake RSVP
WE’RELOVINGOURLAKESTODEATH
What’s Happened to Green Frogs
Frogs/mile
120 (Frogs/mile)
Poly.
2
y = 0.0298x - 2.1712x + 41.227
2
R = 0.2854
(Woodford and Meyer, In Press)
Frogs per Mile
100
80
60
40
20
0
0
10
20
Homes per Mile
30
40
24 Lakes
LOSSOFNATIVEVEGETATION
Slide courtesy WI DNR
ROOTINGDEPTHSOFNATIVEPLANTS
Picture courtesy
Prairie Nursery
NATIVEVS.CULTIVARS
• Native species are adapted to local site conditions
• Native species provide needed habitat = food
• Cultivars and non‐natives creates possible exotic invasives problem
• Annuals and biennials don’t hold up
NATIVE
WISCONSIN
BEEBALM
Copyright by Prairie Nursery, Inc. 2000
BERGAMOT
BEEBALM
MONARDA
Copyright by Prairie Nursery, Inc. 2000
NATIVESVS.
EXOTICS
• Purple loosestrife, glossy buckthorn, Japanese honeysuckle, crown vetch, etc.
• Landowners = maintaining a native planting means keeping out exotics.
Oriental bittersweet
Glossy buckthorn
CLOVERLEAF
LAKESITES
Shawano County, WI
FIRSTPLANTING
LATEJULY2015
STEEPSLOPE
SITE#1–
MOSTLYUPLANDDRY/SHADY&
WETATWATER’SEDGE
Copyright by Prairie Nursery, Inc. 2000
SITE#1COSTS
380Sq.Ft.Planting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbicidetreatments
4yds 2xprocessedhardwoodmulch
230nativeplants
Labor
2shrubs
Projectdesign&coordination
Totalcost
$1,179.98
$3.10persq.ft.
$50
$140
$575
$275
$40
$100
SECONDSITE
FIRSTWEEK
AUGUST2015
LANDOWNERSMULCHEDAND
PLANTEDTOO
SITE#2–
MOSTLYWETLANDWITHSMALLAREAOFUPLANDDRY/SUNNY
Copyright by Prairie Nursery, Inc.
SITE#2COSTS
350Sq.Ft.Planting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbicidetreatments
4yds 2xprocessedhardwoodmulch
220nativeplants
Labor
2shrubs
Projectdesign&coordination
Totalcost
$1,054.98
$3.01persq.ft.
$50
$140
$550
$175
$40
$100
THIRDSITE
PLANTED2ND
WEEKAUGUST
DEEPROOTINGNATIVESWILLMAKEA
HUGEDIFFERENCEFORSTABILITY
SITE#3–
MIXOFUPLANDDRY/SHADY&
WETATWATER’SEDGE
Copyright by Prairie Nursery, Inc. 2000
SITE#3COSTS
480Sq.Ft.Planting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbicidetreatments
6yds 2xprocessedhardwoodmulch
350nativeplants
Labor
2shrubs
Projectdesign&coordination
Totalcost
$1,417.48
$2.95persq.ft.
$75
$180
$788
$225
$40
$100
FOURTHSITE
PLANTEDWITH
LANDOWNERSMID
SEPTEMBER2015
LIMEIS
CRITICAL
INLOWPH
AREAS
SITE#4–
MOSTLYUPLANDDRY/SHADY&
WETATWATER’SEDGE
Copyright by Prairie Nursery, Inc. 2000
SITE#4COSTS
370Sq.Ft.Planting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbicidetreatments
Lime&bonemeal
4yds 2xprocessedhardwoodmulch
220nativeplants
Labor(includesbrushcutting)
2shrubs
Projectdesign&coordination
Totalcost
$1,318.48
$3.46persq.ft.
$50
$15
$140
$788
$200
$26
$100
FIFTHSITE– NEWRIPRAP
PLANTINGAREADRYAND
SHADY
SITE#5–
RELATIVELYDRY,MIXEDSUN&SHADE
Copyright by Prairie Nursery, Inc. 2000
SITE#5COSTS
350Sq.Ft.Planting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbicidetreatments
$50
4.5yds 2xprocessedhardwoodmulch $157.50
196nativeplants
$490
Labor
$150
2shrubs
$12
Projectdesign&coordination $100
Totalcost
$969.48
$2.76persq.ft.
SIXTHSITE– RAINGARDEN
10”+PINENEEDLE
DUFFREMOVED
Areawasherbicided weeksprior,
tilled,raked,tilled,raked,tilled,
raked…..
Notethe‘speedbumps’in
thebasin.C125Coconut
fibererosionmattingwas
usedtohelpholdsoilin
place.
MULCHCOMPLETELY
COVERSENTIRE
PLANTINGAREA.
SITE#6– RAINGARDEN
VERYDRY,MOSTLYSHADE
Copyright by Prairie Nursery,
Inc. 2000
SITE#4COSTS
350Sq.Ft.Planting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbicidetreatments
Lime&milorganite
4yds 2xprocessedhardwoodmulch
212nativeplants
Erosionnetting
Labor(includesbrushcutting)
Projectdesign&coordination
Totalcost
$1,260.00
$3.60persq.ft.
$15
$25
$140
$530
$50
$400
$100
SEVENTHSITE‐
AUGMENTING
SPARSE
GROUNDCOVER
SITE#7–
MOSTLYWETLANDWITHSMALLAREAOFUPLANDDRY/SUNNY
Copyright by Prairie Nursery,
Inc. 2000
SITE#7COSTS
350Sq.Ft.Planting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbicidetreatments
$50
Lime&bonemeal
$20
1.5yd 2xprocessedhardwoodmulch $52.50
207nativeplants
$517.50
$225
Labor(includesbrushcutting)
2shrubs
$40
Projectdesign&coordination $100
Totalcost
$1,004.98
$2.87persq.ft.
EIGHTHSITE– DRY,SHADYSITEWITH
HEAVYDEERBROWSE
MULCHISCRITICALTOHOLD
MOISTUREINSOIL
Mainshadetreewaslimbed
uptoallowmorelight.
SITE#8–
MOSTLYUPLANDDRY/SHADYWITHSMALLAREASOFSUN
ANDWETALONGWATER’SEDGE
Copyright by Prairie Nursery,
Inc. 2000
SITE#8COSTS
350Sq.Ft.Planting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbicidetreatments
Lime&bonemeal
4yds 2xprocessedhardwoodmulch
280nativeplants
Topsoil
Labor(includesbrushcutting)
2shrubs
Projectdesign&coordination
Totalcost
$1,406.98
$4.02sq.ft.
$50
$15
$140
$630
$132
$300
$40
$100
GREENLAKE
FISHSTICK
SITES
Green Lake County, WI
HEALTHY
LAKES
FISH
STICKS
BigGreenLake
UTILIZEDTREESTHATWEREDYING,
LEANING,POORFORM,ETC.FIRST
GLSDSTAFFINSTALLEDFISH
STICKSAT2SITES
WHERETOSTARTIFYOUWANTTO
APPLYFORHEALTHYLAKESFUNDING
• Get the word out ASAP….
– Present info at your Lake Association Meetings
– Put it on your web page
– Send out e‐mails
• Get board/committee members involved…
–
–
–
–
–
Making landowner contacts
Viewing sites and taking lots of photos Ensuring landowners fully understand funding and requirements
Getting signed pledge forms
Make contact with your DNR Grants person
• Don’t procrastinate….
– Grants are due Feb. 1st….. Thanksgiving to New Years flies by!
– Be sure you’ve planned well…. it’s getting competitive
OK….YOU’VEGOTYOURFUNDING,NOW
HOWDOYOUMOVEFORWARD?
• Get a professional involved….
– Coordination
– Design
– Implementation
• Get board/committee members involved…
– Keeping landowners committed
– Viewing sites and taking lots of photos – E‐mail reminders of timelines
• Don’t procrastinate….
– Professionals need time to meet landowners, design, site prep, etc. before planting
– Summer goes by fast!
LacLaBelleProject
LacLaBelleProject
TIPSFORGREATPROJECTS
• Determine the size of the area available
– Critical to picking plant species
– Native plant heights above 3’ need lots of space
– The larger the planting, the increased maintenance required
• Determine the soil moisture of the area
–
–
–
–
Dry prairie Mesic prairie Wet edge
Wetland
• Determine the shade characteristics of the area
– Full sun
– Part sun (Minimum 4 hours)
– Shade
KNOWTHEAREA
• Determine what colors or species you want the most
– Create a list of favorites
– Go over list and denote flowing times
– Add species that flower in other times (i.e.‐asters in late fall)
• Remember costs other than plants
–
–
–
–
Herbicide
Mulch
Hoses
Labor
KNOWALITTLEABOUT
YOURPALETTE
• Mainthingstoknow
– Moistureneeds
– Heights
– Shade
Copyright by Prairie Nursery, Inc. 2000
GENERALPLANTINGTYPES
• Uplandprairie~oftenvery‘flowery’
• Woodland/semi‐shade~Verycommon
• Wetland/wetmeadow~widevariety
• Emergent~Growinginpopularity
POSSIBLEPLANTINGAREAS
Copyright Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality, MNDNR
ROOTINGDEPTHSOFNATIVEPLANTS
Picture courtesy
Prairie Nursery
WHATISANEFFECTIVEBUFFER?
• DENSE vegetation
• VegetationthatconsistsofmultipleSPECIES
(Diversityhelpsmeetsvarioushabitatneeds)
• VegetationconsistingofmultipleCANOPIES
TIPSFORANYNATIVEPLANTING
• Use borders and paths to define the planting area
• Develop a focal point
• Plant two to four species in broad sweeping masses or drifts that repeat throughout the planting area
• Use a mixture of bold and fine textures
• For larger plantings ‐ Post signs to tell passers‐by that your project is indeed planned
DESIGNEDFORGARDENAPPEARANCE
Picture courtesy
Prairie Nursery
Maintained without
weed growth
EXAMPLEOFAPRAIRIEBUFFER
Fewgroupingsofspecies,
lowmaintenance
Picture courtesy Polk County Land Conservation Department
PLANNINGAPLANTING
• Don’t be afraid to start small
• You can add more sq. ft. each year
• Plant in fall; less watering for establishment
• Plant trees in spring; nurseries only have certain species prior to June 1st
• Consider a timer and hose with T’s and sprinklers
• Don’t fertilize
• If you feel you have poor soil get a soil test
• Utilize bone meal in the hole with the plant plugs
CONSIDERUTILIZINGATREE
FALLONYOURSHORELINE
THAT’SIT!
Questions?
LisaJ.Reas,LJReasEnvironmentalConsultingCorp.
Phone:(920)294‐3116
E‐mail:ljreas@charter.net
Website:www.ljreas.com