Vegetated Buffers: Arguably the most effective way you can protect your lake. Vegetated buffers reduce volume & velocity of runoff while simultaneously filtering phosphorus before it reaches the lake. Buffers composed of native trees and shrubs are best adapted to our climate and most resilient to extreme weather events. The complex root system vegetated buffers provide stabilizes the soil preventing future erosion. 

Infiltration Trenches and Dry Wells: Consisting of holes and trenches that are backfilled with crushed stone infiltration trenches and drywells are one of the simplest BMPs. These BMPs quickly collect and infiltrate small amounts of stormwater, reducing the amount of runoff that’s created. For this reason, dry wells are often installed at down spouts from gutters and infiltration trenches are installed along the dripline of roofs without gutters.

Rain Gardens: Best for large catchment areas such as, driveways and lawns, rain gardens catch, store, infiltrate, and filter large amounts of storm water during heavy rain events. Built by creating a large depression where runoff is directed, lining it with well-draining soil, and planting a variety of plants and shrubs that are both drought and flood tolerant. Unlike retaining ponds, rain gardens do not hold standing water after rainstorms. Instead, the water enters the soil within a few hours and is utilized by the plants. During dry periods, a rain garden is simply an attractive landscape feature.

Rubber Razors: Used in situations where runoff does not leave a roadway naturally or dramatically increases in velocity over a short distance, rubber razors direct runoff off roads and driveways before it erodes the road surface. Built by sandwiching a strip of rubber belting between pressure treated lumber and burying it so that only the rubber is exposed, these structures are not suitable for plowed roads. They are very effective tools for preventing erosion on seasonal roads.

Infiltration Steps: Perfect for eroded walking paths on steep slopes. Infiltration steps are timber boxes filled with crushed stone and stacked on top of one another. These steps prevent erosion from both foot traffic and runoff. They also provide attractive, safe paths through steep areas making them ideal for many lakefront properties.

Shoreline Riprap: Used when a vegetative buffer alone isn’t enough. Shoreline riprap is angular rock that is placed against an eroding shoreline to bolster the soil and create a proper angle of repose that is less susceptible to erosion caused by wave and ice action. Riprap dramatically alters the natural environment and eliminates many of the ecosystem services that unaltered shorelines provide. For this reason, riprap should only be used as a last resort in conjunction with shoreline plantings or in situations where there isn’t space for a vegetated buffer between a structure and the lake.