SHAWANO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Water quality experts are busy at work to help reduce erosion on Shawano Lake.
With about 18 miles of shoreline, Emily Henrigillis of the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, says runoff is all too common.
“Really there’s nothing,” explains Henrigillis. “So if water gets high or comes flying off the land, it’s going to hit the grass hit the sea wall, and go right into the lake.”
According to her, help may be on the way in the form of an upcoming lakeshore survey.
“You’re on the water, and you look in, and it’s the first 35 feet from the lake in, is what you’re looking at,” she says.
Volunteers plan to document the landscape in the coming weeks on about a thousand different land parcels all around the lake.
The solution may be planting close to the waterfront in order to help slow the runoff.
“One of the things that we’re trying to maybe have people consider, just doing a portion of their shoreline. Add some native plants there just to help, benefit. But you can still have your beach or sea wall, things like that,” she explains.
Maybe the best example of a restoration project is along the north shore of Shawano Lake.
About five years ago, improvements were made at Whispering Pines Retreat.
“It filters all the things that we want to keep out of Shawano Lake,” says Kay Fredrick, Whispering Pines Retreat.
Fredrick’s team lined 400 feet of shoreline with 3,500 native plants.
“We love it. This is just a wonderful option. Just because of the beauty and the serenity that it provides. And you don’t have to mow all that. It takes care of itself, so we like that part,” she explains.
The Shawano Lake survey is scheduled to begin June 24 and the program is voluntary.
