Outdoors Is your shoreline healthy? Read the signs By Jackie Davis Published: March 30, 2023 Updated: April 3, 2023 share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Copy Link Cancel View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Tony Savino/Shutterstock Unhealthy Erosion. It often stems from a lack of native shoreline vegetation and too much boat wake too close to the shore. To help, live-stake the bank with stabilizing plants, such as willows and red osier dogwood. And tell boaters to get out of your shoreline’s grill. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Paul Roedding/Shutterstock Healthy Lots of frogs and turtles. Amphibians are especially sensitive to toxins and habitat disturbance, say the experts at Watersheds Canada. An abundance of amphibians means that your shoreline is giving them a stable home. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By BluIz60/Shutterstock Healthy Woody debris, fallen logs, and brush along the water’s edge. This makes a transition zone that turtles and other critters can use to move from water to shore and provides a resting place for waterfowl. It also helps to buffer any boat wake. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By fotocraft/Shutterstock Unhealthy A manicured lawn. Or any lawn. Lawns are useless as habitat for almost anything except Canada geese and golf balls. The solution is to stop mowing—or at least stop mowing right to the water’s edge (leave a buffer strip; the bigger the better, if possible). View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By MUHAMMAD ZULHAZMI/Shutterstock Healthy Root systems growing within the water. They create hiding spots for fish and other lake-dwellers. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Maxal Tamor/Shutterstock Unhealthy Alien invaders. Strong shorelines have a variety of native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, and vines. If you have invasive plants, contact your local environmental ministry or invasive species council for advice. (And if you don’t know what common invasives look like—quick, to the Internet!) View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Songquan Deng/Shutterstock Unhealthy An unbalanced shoreline. Are you using more than your share? According to Watersheds Canada, we should leave 75 per cent of our shoreline natural and untouched and take only 25 per cent for boating and swimming. Or else it’s just plain greedy. View in Fullscreen Related galleries The origins of 7 wildlife idioms How well do you know your weasels? Stunning bird photos and videos from the 2023 Audubon Photography Awards 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Is your shoreline healthy? Read the signs Is your shoreline healthy or unhealthy? Give it a checkup this spring. A voice from the wildernessGet The Great Outdoors, our biweekly brief on all things natureSign up here Featured Video Related Story Ontario government proposes tightening restrictions for floating accommodations Related Story What you need to know about Haliburton County’s shoreline preservation bylaw Related Story Nature Scrapbook: The common loon Related Articles Tips for first-time real Christmas tree owners Outdoors New research reveals the science of skunk stripes Outdoors The $500,000 fight to protect a Muskoka wetland Outdoors This little-known sport from Europe is the ultimate winter cottage activity Outdoors
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