Workshop to provide guidance on creating a healthy shoreline

From reports

Do you want to learn about healthier shoreline options like glacial stones and native plants? Are you wondering if you would need a permit or not to make changes to your shoreline? The Watershed Foundation and Indiana Department of Natural Resources are offering an informational session about healthy shoreline on Thursday, June 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Winona Lake Senior Center. An optional tour of the healthy shorelines project at Winona Lake Limitless Park will follow. The event is free and open to the public.

What are healthy shorelines?

The accepted norm on many of our lakes is to have a mowed lawn up to the edge of a concrete seawall. Concrete seawalls are not naturalor healthy for our lakes. In fact, they disrupt the critical ribbon of life on lake shorelines, create added wave action, and stir up the bottom sediments. Sedimentation is the suspension of nutrients and material in our lakes, which is one of the main reasons for algae growth, green muck and fish scarcity in our lakes.

Healthy shorelines (and adjacent lawns) have an abundance of plants both on the land and in the water. Glacial stone (or rock) seawalls are an improvement over concrete because they help slow wave action. Natural shorelines can also be incredibly beautiful and easy to maintain without interfering with recreation.

Examples of projects under the TWF Healthy Shorelines Initiative include stone re-facing of concrete seawalls, bioengineered seawalls, and glacial stone seawalls.

Healthy Shorelines Initiative Grants Will be Available this Year to Residents of Center, Chapman, Pike and Winona Lakes

The Healthy Shorelines Initiative provides grant assistance of up to $1,000 to homeowners for shoreline projects that improve water quality and shoreline habitat, while reducing erosion and decreasing runoff.

In order to be eligible, the project site must be located on Center, Chapman, Pike or Winona Lake, and the applicant must pay at least 25% of the total cost of the project. Applications are available on the TWF website, and the application deadline is August 1, 2024.

For more information contact The Watershed Foundation at admin@watershedfoundation.org or 574-834-3242. For more information about Healthy Shorelines and how TWF takes action for healthy lakes visit www.WatershedFoundation.org and click “Take Action.”