SHORE PRIMERTHE

A COTTAGER’S GUIDETO A HEALTHY WATERFRONT

PRAIRIES EDITION

THE SHORE PR I MER

COTTAGE LIFE

54 St. Patrick Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1V1

Web Site: www.cottagelife.com

FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA

Fish Habitat Management Program - Prairies Area

7646-8 Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 8X4

Web Site: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan

Cette publication est également disponible en français.

Produced byCottage Life

in association withFisheries and Oceans Canada

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B y R a y Fo r d

CONTENTS

PAG E 4

YOUR SHORE: A NATURAL WONDER

PAG E 6

HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR SHORE’S TRUE NATURE• The Littoral Zone: A Lakeside Daycare• The Shoreline: Glue for the Waterfront

• The Riparian and Upland Zones: The Lake’s Doormat• You Can Save Your Lake from Premature Aging

PAG E 1 2

MAKING AMENDS: WAYS TO RESTORE AN ALTERED SHORE • Before You Restore: The Approvals Process

• Restoration #1: Lessening Your Lawn’s Impact• Restoration #2: Switching to a Shore-Friendly Dock

• Restoration #3: Softening a Hardened Shoreline• The New-Look Waterfront

PAG E 2 2FURTHER READING

When a natural shoreline is altered,often by well-intentioned projects meantto improve waterfront living, that intricate balance between the creatures,plants, and earth is toppled. Call it the“domino effect.” A typical scenario goeslike this: After smashing the piggy bankto pay for a cottage lot, the new ownerswant to enjoy that priceless view of thewater (and who wouldn’t?). So theygather the extended family for a weekend logging bee and clear out the thicket of plants, shrubs, and treeslining the shore. But once the trees and shrubs are gone, the soil their rootsheld in place begins to erode. Now thecottager family spends uneasy weekendswatching their frontage become lakefill.Worried about the erosion of their property and investment, they foregorenovations to their city home and usethe cash to build a breakwall. In a fewyears, the wall, undermined by the constant pounding of the waves,

begins to list or crack. This time, theowners dip into the kids’ university fundto underwrite a new series of repairs.What began as a bid to see the laketurns into a grudge match between thecottagers and the waterfront – and bothsides are taking a beating.

Why not declare a truce and weaveyour cottage needs into the naturalshore? This booklet will show you how to protect and nurture the qualities thatmake it such a special location. ThisPrimer also offers cottagers and otherlandowners constructive solutions forrestoring an altered shoreline to its formerhealth and beauty. The Shore Primer is the second in a series of booklets onwaterfront stewardship published byCottage Life in association with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It, in combination with The Dock Primer,can help you become a better caretakerof your own little piece of paradise.

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Y o u r S h o r e : A N a t u r a l W o n d e r

For many cottagers and otherwaterfront residents, the quietspot by the lake is a little bit ofparadise where we can relax, play,

and enjoy being closer to nature. But it’s aspecial place for another reason too. Thezone where the water meets the land isthe richest natural environment most of us

will ever come into contact with, andalmost certainly the most complex piece of the earth we’ll have the opportunity tolive near and share. Equally important, thewaterfront is crucial to your lake’s health,acting as lungs, doormat, cafeteria, and daycare for the lake, as well as a livingretaining wall for the shore.

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T H E S H O R E P R I M E R

YOUR SHORE: A NATURAL WONDER

acting as the lungs of the lake, convertingsunlight into food and releasing oxygenin the process, and providing food and shelter for other creatures. Oncesubmerged, wood becomes a 24-hourdiner for aquatic insects, crayfish, andsmall fish, its surface covered by a smorgasbord of tiny plants and invertebrates. Downed trees also act as hiding spots for small fish and theirpredators and good spawning zones foryellow perch.

How we can help the littoral zonestay healthy: The water’s edge is also afocal point for human activity. Perhapseven now you can see the kids leapingfrom the swimming raft and hear Grampamuttering curses as he fiddles with theoutboard. While we don’t intend to, it’seasy for humans to interfere with thedelicate operations of the littoral zone.If Grampa accidentally spills two-strokefuel, for example, the juvenile perch will be looking for a new daycare. Thesimplest way to keep the littoral zonevibrant and healthy is to tinker with it as little as possible:

• Use your dock as a bridge over the weedier shallows, and moor a

swimming raft out in deeper water,rather than frightening away fish andbirds by ripping out aquatic plants tomake a swimming area.

• Leave trees where they fall, unlessthey’re a hazard to boats or swimmers.Typically, only a few trees along a kilometre of waterfront will tumble into the water during a year. When acottager yanks out all the trees lining the waterfront, habitat formed by fallentrunks and branches that took decades to accumulate is destroyed in a single summer.

• Until shoreline regulations wereimposed to discourage the practice,many folks liked to “improve” theirswimming areas by bringing in a fewtruckloads of sand and dumping themon the shore. So what’s the harm in that?When the sand erodes, as it almost certainly will, it smothers spawningareas for fish, buries mayflies in theirburrows, and covers the vegetation wherefrogs and toads lay their eggs. Theimpact ripples through the food chain:Without frogs, tadpoles and other aquaticspecies to eat decaying aquatic plants andinsects, more oxygen-depleting algae fillsthe lake and more bugs swarm the shore;

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First, prepare for a waterfrontexpedition (sunglasses, big hat,sunscreen, binoculars to seewhat the neighbours are doing)

and take along a supply of refreshments– this kind of in-depth field study canbe demanding. Next, park yourself in a deck chair with a waterfront view (the dock makes a good spot) and take agood look around. The natural shore hasfour components, beginning underwaterand extending upland (farther than you’d think). Shore experts call these components the littoral zone, theshoreline, the riparian zone, and theupland zone, and each plays a critical role in keeping your lake healthy. Asimportant as these separate zones are,however, it’s vital to remember that theshore is a natural progression – each

area shades into the next in a gradual, almost

seamless transition.Altering any portion

of this region

affects the whole, diminishing its abilityto support life on the lake.

THE LITTORAL ZONE: A LAKESIDE DAYCARE

Sitting on your dock, you’re perched in the littoral zone, the area from thewater’s edge to roughly where sunlightno longer penetrates to the lake bottom.As much as 90 per cent of the species inthe lake either passes through or lives inthis zone. Algae float freely in the wateror attach themselves to twigs, stones,and plants. Microscopic water bears(freshwater invertebrates that look liketiny lumbering bears – if you ignore thetwo extra legs) graze on aquatic plants.Yellow perch spawn in the shallows,while northern pike lurk among thesedges. Ducks forage in the pond weeds, and turtles loaf on the trunks of fallen trees.

The water in front of the shore acts asthe nursery, daycare, and cafeteria for arange of species, offering foraging areas

and hiding spots and a shallow, relatively protectedarea for young fish andamphibians to grow.Aquatic plants and downedtrees are a crucial part ofthe system, with the plants

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HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR SHORE’S TRUE NATURE

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UPLANDRIPARIAN

SHORELINELITTORAL

Building a sand beach is tempting, but it canerode easily, and snuffout aquatic life.

Not only does this destroy parts of the littoral zone, but it may alter watercurrents and increase erosion on adjacent properties.

THE RIPARIAN AND UPLANDZONES: THE LAKE’S DOORMAT

Most parents install a mat at the cottagedoor so little shore rats can wipe theirbare feet or remove their shoes. Lakeshave a similar “contaminant” barrier:the riparian and upland zones.

There are a lot of nasty things waitingto catch a lift down to the lake when aheavy rain courses down the slope,including seepage from septic tanks,fertilizers and pesticides, deposits fromfamily pets, and oil or gas spilled on thedriveway. One of the main contaminantsfrom cottage runoff is phosphorus, a“nutrient” that occurs in nature, as wellas human-made products, such as fertilizer and detergent. On its own, ithelps nourish life in the lake, but whenwe add to that natural load, phosphorusleads to poorer water quality, algalblooms, and less oxygenated habitat for cold-water fish.

Fortunately, the jumble of trees,shrubs, and grasses along a natural shore forms a “buffer” that helps filterout these undesirables: In the riparianzone – the section of land closest to theshore – the thick layer of low foliagecontrols erosion and sifts impurities outof surface runoff. Leaves and branchesbreak the force of falling rain, which isfurther slowed by the rough surface ofleaf litter, pine needles, and brokentwigs; the water is then absorbed byplant roots or the soil. But as wellas being a filter for the lake, theriparian zone is also a refugefor wildlife: Water birds nestin the tall grasses near thewater; warblers flit among

the shoreline vegetation; and when thearea is flooded during the high-waterperiod – even if there is only 18 cm ofwater – pike will thrash their way overthe spring-flooded banks, scatteringtheir eggs in the lake-edge nursery.

The higher, drier ground called theupland zone is typically forested with thekinds of trees that take advantage of betterdrainage, including Manitoba maple,poplar, spruce and white birch. The deeproots of the trees stabilize the slopes, whiletheir foliage buffers the shore from winds.The forest canopy also cools the area bymaintaining shade and boosting humidity in the summer. In winter, it shelters deer,chickadees, porcupines, grouse, and rabbits.

Together, these two zones form a doormat so effective that one shorelineexpert estimates only 10 per cent of therunoff actually makes it into the lake,and much of the sediment and other pollutants is filtered out before reachingthe water. If the lake bottom doesn’t dropoff too quickly, then the remaining guckwill tangle with another barrier of aquaticplants in the littoral zone, where the jumble of bulrushes, arrowhead and cattails slows the influx of runoff and consumes many of its nutrients.

How we can keep the riparian andupland zones in place: Almost any kind of development can fray the lake’s doormat, and some projects can toss it out altogether.

the blue heron moves on when itsamphibian quarry grows scarce. While abeach may be fun for sunbathers, it is nopicnic for littoral residents.

THE SHORELINE: GLUE FOR THE WATERFRONT

Thanks to thousands of years of practice,natural shores are among the world’smost effective, least expensive erosioncontrols. The mix of plants, shrubs, andtrees forms a complex web of roots andfoliage that knits the waterfront together,holding the bank in place andfending off theimpacts of wind,rain, waves, iceand boat wake.

The barricadeagainst erosion isthe shoreline, theplace where landand water meet.In its natural state,the shoreline is aprofusion of stones,plants, shrubs, fallenlimbs, and tree trunks.But it’s also a busyintersection, with animals, insects, and birdstravelling back and forth. Moose anddeer pick their way down to the water toforage or drink. Mink skulk about onhunting trips. Water birds waddle fromtheir nests to the water. Overhanging vegetation shades and cools the water,and acts as a fast-food outlet for fish byproducing a rain of aphids, ants, andother insects that slip from their perches above.

How we can help keep the shorelinetogether: Things start to come apartwhen people remove the vegetationwhose roots act as the glue that holds

the shoreline together. The resultingerosion releases silt and sediment intothe water where it damages spawningareas. For example, Northern pike laytheir eggs in shallow waters, where theeggs cling to vegetation. The eggs hatchafter 12-14 days. Water circulatingaround the eggs carries oxygen to theeggs, but when silt covers the eggs, theunhatched fish are suffocated.

The usual solution is to replace the natural shoreline with a breakwall made of wood, rock, concrete or steel. In

environmental terms, this converts a lively waterfront into a sterile environment. By imposing a sharpvertical drop-off on the shore, abreakwall limits the ability of plants to re-root up or down thebank as water levels rise and fall,typically reducing waterfrontvegetation by one-half tothree-quarters. The decline

in the number and diversityof aquatic plants has a

ripple effect, reducinghabitat for fish, birds,

and amphibians.A breakwall is almost

always an expensive temporaryfix. Because artificial materials lack theresilience of the natural shore, a homemadevertical breakwall often lasts only a decadeor so before cracking and falling apart.To maintain a healthy shore:

• Leave the natural vegetation on the land and in the water.

• Don’t replacethe shoreline witha breakwall.

• Don’t dumpfill along yourwaterfront,because infillingdestroys fishhabitat.

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T H E S H O R E P R I M E R H o w To P r e s e r v e Yo u r S h o r e ’s Tr u e N at u r e

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Even in the upland zone, the hard surfaces of paved driveways, shingledroofs, and patios shed water, increasingrunoff and heightening the danger oferosion. Sediment carried into the wateris a greater concern during construction,when land is being cleared for a cottage,garage, or even just a lawn. Here are afew ways you can assist the lake’s naturalfiltering system:

• Eliminate potential pollutants bybeing careful with gas and oil around the cottage, avoiding the use of fertilizersand pesticides, and maintaining yourseptic system with regular pump-outs.Be careful not to overload the septic system with too much water, especially if you have a dishwasher or hot tub that drains into it, or a big crowd for a weekend. Working the system too hardshortens its life, and can send someunpleasant things seeping toward the lake.

• Maintain as much riparian andupland vegetation as possible.

• Opt for softer or more permeablesurfaces (gravel or wood chips) ratherthan concrete and asphalt.

• When building on your property,replant disturbed areas as quickly as possible, and landscape grassed swalesaround the cottage to catch and encourageinfiltration of rainwater flowing off theroof. Be especially careful in the riparianzone, where any soil dug up is apt to bewashed straight into the lake during

the next rainfall.

Leave the riparian plants, shrubs, andtrees in place.

• Keep flower and vegetable gardenswell away from the lake.

YOU CAN SAVE YOUR LAKE FROM PREMATURE AGING

Depending how you and your waterfrontneighbours choose to treat the naturalshore, you can dramatically alter yourlake’s lifespan – for better or for worse.

Like any cottager, a lake ages, in a natural process called eutrophication.Over thousands of years, it develops the aquatic version of midriff bulge assediment, erosion, and the growth anddecomposition of plants eventually fill in the bottom, converting it to a bog and, finally, more or less dry land.

On the geologic time scale, this is agood and normal thing – a healthyeutrophic lake supports all sorts ofwarm-water fish, such as smallmouthbass, freshwater drum, catfish and pike.But when humans fast-forward theprocess by tearing out the shorelinebuffer zone and dumping too manynutrients such as phosphorus into thelake, the water begins to change toorapidly for the life that depends upon it.It becomes murkier as plant and algaegrowth explodes, with decomposition of the added vegetation consuming theoxygen normally shared with otheraquatic creatures. Trout suffocate in thenew environment, while carp flourish.The lake ages before its time.

Because eutrophication is often theresult of a lot of small actions – poor septic systems, using high-phosphatesoaps, removing shoreline plants – it canalso be arrested by the efforts of landowners.By understanding how a natural shorefunctions, and then acting collectively topreserve, not destroy, that critical balance,individuals can make a difference.

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(1) When vegetation at the water’s edge is cut down, wildlife habitat is lost andmore polluting runoff reaches the lake. (2) Clearing woody debris and aquaticplants from the shallows means fish no longer come to spawn nor herons to feed.(3) A concrete breakwall is a sterile barrier, extinguishing shoreline vitality.

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process, toss around some options, andhelp you select the best approachesfor your shore, possibly saving youtime and money.

How to Prepare for Your Project: Make a plan for your shore-friendly property,including an inventory ofexisting plants and features,the different waterfrontzones it will involve, and a notion of your final objectives. Find somegraph paper (the kinddivided into little squares,to make it easier to draw toscale) and draw up a map of yourproperty, including buildings andstructures, the shoreline, highand low water points, waterintake, vegetation on the landand in the water, wildlife habitat(fish spawning areas, areas whereducklings swim), and prevailing winds and currents. (This map will come in handy if you find that you require formal approvals or permits, so make several copies.)

Next, note problem areas on yourshore: places that have been clear-cut,eroding banks, failing breakwalls, ailingdocks, and so on. Include high-activityareas such as the patch of lawn that acts as the badminton or volleyball court, and the pathways to the shore.Brainstorm with your family, neighbouringcottagers, and shore-care experts to findnatural, environmentally friendly solutions.

When you’ve come up with the bestapproach, discuss it with your provincialnatural resources management agency or Fisheries and Oceans Canada. If youneed to make a formal application be sure to include:

• Your name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address.

• Your water body’s name and location,county or rural municipality, and eventhe latitude and longitude coordinates,if you have them. (The coordinates areavailable off a good topographic map ora Global Positioning System receiver.)

• A copy of your hand-drawn lot map, signed and dated.

• An outline of your plans, includingconstruction details, schedule, techniques,materials, and goals.

• Photos of the work site and the surrounding shore are also a good idea.Photos throughout the seasons (summer,winter, and during spring breakup) may be helpful.

Do your planning the summer beforeyou want to begin the work, and fileyour applications (where required) in the fall with the appropriate agency.

The trouble with the naturalshore is there isn’t as much as there used to be. The extravagant native greenery

that once sprawled along the waterfronthas been cut down, boxed in, built over,and otherwise shoved aside on manylakes, only to be replaced by the orderedand angular world of docks, grass,beaches, and breakwalls. Yet a “developed”shore is not a lost cause. Restoring thebeauty and integrity of your waterfrontneed not cost a lot of money or require a lot of labour – after all, working with nature is cheaper and easier thanworking against it.

Because each stretch of shore is distinct, there is no one generic prescription for bringing an alteredwaterfront back to

health. But the following scenarios andsuggestions will help you begin to makeamends with your shore.

BEFORE YOU RESTORE: THE APPROVALS PROCESS

A number of federal, provincial andmunicipal laws and regulations affectshore work across Canada. Whether you want to restore your shore or buildfrom scratch, check ahead of time to seewhat approvals you may require. Underthe federal Fisheries Act, the onus is onthe cottagers and other landowners toensure that shoreline work does not“harmfully alter, disrupt or destroy”fish habitat without the required authorisation from DFO.

If the lands are on, or adjacent toNational Parks area, call the folks at

Parks Canada. You should alsocheck with your local and

provincial agencies. On regulated waterways, you

should also consult with the authority responsible for water levels.

If you’re in doubt aboutwho to approach, contact yournearest DFO office for help.The folks “in the know” can

guide you through the approvals

T H E S H O R E P R I M E R

MAKING AMENDS: WAYS TORESTORE AN ALTERED SHORE

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grass grow all season; knocking it downonce a year with a trimmer or scythe will keep trees and shrubs out, while permitting wildflowers to put down roots.

Buffering Your Lawn from the Lake:Because lawns are the last thing a lakewants beside it, you’d be doing the shoreand yourself a big favour by getting ridof the tidy plot once and for all. But ifthat’s too radical a notion for first-timerestorationists, take the next best step:Keep them apart with a buffer zone ofnatural vegetation, to filter contaminantsin runoff, provide homes for wildlife,and enhance your cottage privacy. (Formore detail on its function, see p. 9.)

The wider a buffer is, the better itworks. As a rough rule of thumb, abuffer extending back 30 metres fromthe top of the bank is sufficient for mostcold-water lakes (whose fish suffer morefrom nutrient runoff ), while 15 metreswill protect a warm-water lake. The natural area should be even wider onproperties with steep, erosion-proneslopes. The key thing toremember is any amount ofbuffer is better than none at all.If 30 metres sounds like toomuch, consider going au naturelin stages, adding a bit more eachyear by working back from theshoreline in two-to-three metre strips.

How to Build a Buffer:The easiest approach,especially for lots withpatches of healthy nativevegetation or erosion-prone soils, is to stopmowing the lawn.Native grasses, shrubs,and trees will colonize the area, with thewildflowers and grasses moving in the

first year, and shrubs and trees following a year or two later.Troublesome invaders, such as leafyspurge or stink weed can be selectively cut or hand pulled.

Restoring a heavily clear-cut area is alittle tougher, but not beyond the skillsof anyone who can handle a shovel and a watering can. Start by looking at thefoliage covering natural areas of the lake,and try to duplicate it on your lot. Byplanting a mix of native plants and shrubs –willows and dogwood – in the riparianzone, you can protect the soil, buffer thewaterfront, and entice birds and otherwildlife. In the upland area, you can addspecies that thrive on well-drained slopes,such as maple, poplar, spruce and whitebirch. Avoid pilfering wild plants (unlessthey’re going to be built on or paved over)

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That way, you’ll have all the paperworktaken care of in time for the spring thaw.

What happens if you ignore all thisgood advice? That won’t be a problem forthe upstanding, salt-of-the-earth typeswho wouldn’t dream of cutting corners ordestroying shore habitat. But in case youknow a shiftless brother-in-law whomight consider such a stunt, warnhim that the Fisheries Actpacks a hefty fine, and that the courts often orderrestoration of the property to its original state.

RESTORATION #1: LESSENINGYOUR LAWN’S IMPACT

How many lawns can you countaround your lake? Probablymore than you used to, asincreasing numbers of people are retiring to live full time at their cottages.While turf has its place (baseball parks come to mind), lakes and lawns have arelationship that is uneasy atbest, and poisonous at worst. Lazythings that they are, lawns displacethe hard-working native plants thatprotect the lake. When a heavyrain comes, the foppish blades laydown and let the rain beat all overthem, eroding the topsoil and carrying it into the lake. According to one study,90 per cent of the rain falling on a naturalshore is absorbed before reaching thewater, while up to 55 per cent of the rainfalling on hard surfaces, including lawns,flows right into the lake.

All that runoff hastens erosion,sending silt and sediment into the waterwhere it damages spawning and feedingareas. Pesticides and fertilizers lavished

on the lawn also play havoc with theaquatic ecosystem. Weed and bug killersmay harm fish or destroy the plants andinsects fish feed on, and fertilizers promote algae growth, leading to agreener, murkier lake. A kilogram ofphosphorus fertilizer washed off thelawn and into the lake fuels the growthof 500 kg of aquatic plants, snaring boat

propellers and choking shorelines.

If you must have a lawn (over the septic bed, for example), don’t make it aputting green by chemically feeding andweeding it. Try leaving the grass clippingson the lawn to mulch and fertilize thesod, but only if the lawn is far enoughfrom the water that the clippings won’tbe washed into the lake. Let the grassgrow at least seven centimetres longbetween trimmings, to conserve soilmoisture. Another option is to let the

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Replace a hardened walkwaywith a more absorbent one

made of wood chips, gravel, orwooden slats spaced apart

so that rainfall can soak into the soil.

salamanders. On slopes, it’s best to opt for raised wooden stairs built on posts.Cutting into the slope to install steps only encourages erosion. Concrete stepsand sidewalks will circumvent your buffer by channelling runoff towards the lake.

RESTORATION #2: SWITCHINGTO A SHORE-FRIENDLY DOCK

Docks are so much a part of lakeside living, you probably see them as extensions of the shore. The truth is,ill-designed shoreline structures fragment the habitat so critical to

lakeside creatures. When the time comes to replace the rickety old dockyou’ve inherited, select one that suitsyour purposes but also does the leastharm to the lake. Cottagers can find allthey need to know about shore-friendlystructures in The Dock Primer (to get afree copy, see p. 22), but here are a fewkey factors to keep in mind:

• Type of dock: A floating dock isamong the top environmental choicesbecause it causes the least disturbance to the lake bottom, provides some fishcover, rides out fluctuating lake levels,and doesn’t alter water currents.

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because you’re simply denuding one area to clothe another. But do make sure thatthe species you purchase are, in fact, nativeto your area – consult with the various government shore experts, as well as localgardening centres, horticultural societies,and naturalists’ clubs.

A natural area often looks moreappealing to the eye if you plan a transition zone between it and the more manicured areas of your property.If you like, consider softening the shiftfrom lawn and gardens to the wilder-looking buffer with a mix of showynative plants. Adopt flowing, curvingborders rather than straight lines to promote this natural aesthetic. Preservea view of the water through judiciouspruning, grouping taller trees to allow

sightlines, or building an elevated viewing deck behind the cottage.

Use a meandering trail – angled alongthe slope, not running straight down to the shore – to lead visitors from the cottage to the dock. The path will lookmore natural and allow rainwater to infiltrate the soil if it’s covered with pea gravel or bark chips.Another option is a wood walkway,with slats wide enough to let rain and sunlight through. Creative types mightalso consider adding an elevated walkway or bridge over sensitive areas,built on posts rising 15–30 cm above the ground. The bridge protects vegetation and provides cover for ground-hugging woodland creatures such as frogs, toads, snakes, and

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A lawn is an unhealthypartner for a lake. Not onlydoes it foster fertilizer andpesticide use but, being a“hard” surface, it allows upto 55 per cent of rainfall to escape into the water,washing away topsoil and,eventually, the shoreline.

Help a damaged shore by plantinga buffer of native shrubs and

grasses. The thick tangle of thirstyroots dramatically slows runoff.

But it isn’t perfect. Floating docks shadesome of the littoral zone, reducing theaquatic life that many fish, insects, andanimals depend on. They also pose problems for ducklings. The waterfowlcling to the shore as they learn to paddle,and may shun an area where they have to circumnavigate a lot of docks jammed up against the land. You can easily fixthis problem by pushing the dock a bitfurther out and using a gangplank tobridge the short stretch of water betweenit and the shore. This gives mama duckand her brood a marine underpass, whileyou can walk the plank – as it were – tothe dock.

Pipe or pile docks may be an equallygood option. As these types of docksrest mostly out of water on pipes orposts, they have a very small footprinton the littoral zone. They also providesome structural habitat and allow moresunlight to penetrate through to the lakebottom. Cantilever, suspension, and liftdocks are anchored by their base to theshore and overhang the water. They’regentle on the environment, but they’reexpensive and fairly complex to build.A crib dock, usually built on a base ofsquare-cut timbers filled with stones is a poor choice as it covers parts of the littoral zone. Last and definitelyleast, a concrete pier is a disaster inenvironmental terms, crushing the life in the littoral zone.

• Building materials: The safestoption for waterfront construction isuntreated wood, such as cedar, fir,hemlock, and tamarack. Plastic wood,if installed properly, offers long life, butmay sag between spans or split duringinstallation if you’re not careful.

Treated wood is definitely a secondchoice. Wood preservatives kill theorganisms that cause rot, but what

destroys fungi can also harm other critters (including you, if you breathe in too much sawdust or get too muchpreservative on your skin). If you mustgo this route, buy lumber that’s pressuretreated at the factory rather than doingit yourself with a paintbrush. Pressure-treated wood is manufactured to strictquality-control and environmental standards, so it should provide more protection while limiting environmental risk.

• Sensitive siting: You can reduce theimpact of waterfront development byselecting dock or boathouse sites withlittle or no vegetation, and developing 4 metres or less of your frontage.Pick the three or four metres wheredevelopment will do the least harm,and set that section aside for a dock,swimming area, and so on.

RESTORATION #3: SOFTENING A HARDENED SHORELINE

Take a look along your waterfront –wherever you see a breakwall, thatstretch of shore looks almost lifeless,doesn’t it? “Hardened” shorelines are like hardened arteries: Left withouttreatment, they can have serious health consequences.

When a shoreline is surrounded by concrete, steel, or stone, the flow of lifealong the waterfront is constricted. Inserious cases, the waterfront has a kindof cardiac arrest, as plant habitat isdestroyed, and fish, birds, and amphibians move on.

Worse still, hardened shorelines areonly a temporary fix for an erosionproblem usually caused by removingshoreline vegetation. When wave actionslams against a vertical wall, the energyis deflected upwards, where the wave

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Over time, waveaction turns abreakwall into acrumbling eyesore.

Regrade the slope to a gentle25 degrees and line withgeotextile filter cloth. Smashthe wall and top with rip-rap.

With nature’s waterfrontrecreated, evicted shorelineresidents happily return.

A HARD EDGE

A NEW SLANT

A SOFT TOUCH

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maintenance will cost more than a do-it-yourself job, but the investment pays off inlongevity, peace of mind, and preservationof the waterfront environment.

THE NEW-LOOK WATERFRONT

Depending how developed your lake is,with lawns, breakwalls, and the like, acottager opting for the “natural” lookmay be viewed by the neighbours withvarying degrees of interest, curiosity, andbemusement (“Hmm, how come he’slying in that comfy hammock instead of mowing the grass?”).

As you begin your restoration project,get other lake residents onside byexplaining why you’re forsaking the lawnin favour of poplar, spruce and yarrow,

and perhaps offering them a copy of thisbooklet. Explain that you’re concernedabout the health of the waterfront, andthat you want to preserve the lake and itscreatures for your kids – or their kids – to enjoy. On a wider scale, try contactinglike-minded lake lovers through the local lake association. Forming an unofficialshore support group is a good way toshare shore restoration information.Some associations even sponsor shorerestoration programs, with prizes for the most improved lots.

Then, having ensured your reputationas a thoughtful, concerned lakeside resident – maybe even a visionary! – you can climb back in the hammock and let nature do the work.

21

M a k i n g A m e n d s : W a y s To R e s t o r e A n A l t e r e d S h o r e

breaks against the top of the wall, anddownwards, where currents scour out the earth at its base. As the groundbeneath it washes away, the wall beginsto list and break up. Eventually, it topples right over.

If you own a breakwall, there are a few things you can do to reduce thepounding it takes and improve habitatalong the shore. First, plant a bufferzone (see p. 15), including lots of deep-rooted native shrubs to hold the soiltogether and prevent gullies from opening up behind the wall. The nextstep, which requires the approval of government authorities, is to modify thehabitat in the littoral zone. Stones piledat a 45-degree angle in front of the wallwill add more places for fish to hide andfeed, and may trap enough sediment toencourage the growth of aquatic plants.As a bonus, the stones will also absorbmuch of the force of the waves, extendingthe life of the wall. “Shore ladders,”made by piling upenough stones to reach from thelake bed to the top of thewall, allowfrogs, snakes,and mink to travel backand forthfrom land towater.

If the breakwall isalready falling apart,view it as an opportunityto replace the crumblingeyesore with a new,more natural shore.After receiving the appropriateapprovals andadvice, dig out

the bank behind the failing wall torestore a slope of 25 degrees or less, andline it with geotextile filter cloth to keepthe soil in place. Ideally, you shouldremove the breakwall, but if that’s notpractical, you can pull it back onto thenew slope and break the concrete intocobble-sized pieces of rubble. Be sure toadd a veneer or appropriately sizedstones commonly known as “rip-rap”(usually 15-20 cm in diameter) to coverthe filter cloth. Just behind the riprap,you should plant woody vegetation andshrubs such as willow, dogwood andpoplar. Eventually, the plants will growinto the spaces between the stones.You’ll have a shore-friendly waterfrontthat controls erosion and provideswildlife habitat.

Most shores can be held together bytheir natural vegetation. In erosion-proneareas, the existing plants can be augmentedby willows (which are as easy to plant asshoving a stick in the mud). The expertswith the various provincial and federalagencies can also explain how to “bio-

engineer” a shore to resist erosionwith a tough and resilient

combination of stones, wood,willow and poplar

cuttings.Finally, if youhave a serious

erosion problem,you’ll needgood advice on

protecting yourshore. Consider

consulting with an engineer or erosion control specialist.

Well-engineerederosion controls

that balance shorelineprotection and habitat

20

T H E S H O R E P R I M E R

T H E S H O R E P R I M E R

• The Dock Primer, Max Burns. Fisheriesand Oceans Canada and Cottage Life.

The Dock Primer is an invaluable guideto waterfront-friendly docks, covering allthe essentials from best building designsto the approvals process. For an electroniccopy, visit the Fisheries and OceansCanada Web site and choose the “Infocentre” option followed by “Guidelines & Fact Sheets”. Web site:www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan

Aussi disponible en français.The Dock Primer is also posted on

Cottage Life’s Web site (see below).

• Cottage Life magazine, Cottage Life.Published six times a year, Cottage Life is

an excellent resource for anyone owning, orrenting, residential waterfront property.

54 St. Patrick StreetToronto, ON M5T 1V1Phone: 416-599-2000Fax: 416-599-0800E-mail: clmag@cottagelife.comWeb site: www.cottagelife.com

• On the Living Edge: Your Handbook for Waterfront Living - Saskatchewan/ManitobaEdition. 2003. Sara Kipp and Clive Callaway.Co-published by the Living by Water Project and Nature Saskatchewan.To order, contact:

Nature Saskatchewan206 - 1860 Lorne StreetRegina, SK S4P 2L7Phone: 306-780-9834E-mail: shorelines@naturesask.ca

• On the Living Edge: Your Handbook for Waterfront Living - Alberta/NWT. 2002.Sara Kipp and Clive Callaway.Co-published by the Living by Water Project and Federation of Alberta Naturalists.To order, contact:

The Federation of Alberta Naturalists1179 Groat RoadEdmonton, AB T5M 3K6Phone: 780-427-8124Fax: 780-422-2663E-mail: shorelines@fanweb.ca

Illustrations by David Wysotski

Photography by Kevin Hewitt

FURTHER READING

22

FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA, PRAIRIES OFFICES

23

CALGARY DISTRICT7646-8 Street NE Calgary, AB T2E 8X4 Tel: 403-292-5160Fax: 403-292-5173

LETHBRIDGE DISTRICTJ.D. Higenbotham Building204, 704-4 Avenue Lethbridge, AB T1J 0N8 Tel: 403-394-2920Fax: 403-394-2917

REGINA DISTRICT 1804 Victoria Avenue East Regina, SK S4N 7K3 Tel: 306-780-8725Fax: 306-780-8722

WINNIPEG DISTRICT 501 University Crescent Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Tel: 204-983-5163Fax: 204-984-2402

EDMONTON DISTRICT4253-97 Street Edmonton, AB T6E 5Y7 Tel: 780-495-4220 Fax: 780-495-8606

PEACE RIVER DISTRICT9001-94 Street Peace River, AB T8S 1G9 Tel: 780-618-3220Fax: 780-618-3235

PRINCE ALBERT DISTRICT125-32 Street West Prince Albert, SK S6V 7H7 Tel: 306-953-8777Fax: 306-953-8792

DAUPHIN DISTRICT 101-1 Avenue NW Dauphin, MB R7N 1G8 Tel: 204-622-4060Fax: 204-622-4066

JANUARY 2004 – PRAIRIES AREA