Shoreline Stabilization
The shoreline of any lake, stream, or river is an ecologically valuable area. It provides a rich, active habitat for fish and wildlife, and when these shorelines include native trees, shrubs, and groundcover, they become a “buffer” that separates your yard from the water. Shoreline buffers have numerous benefits, including:
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Filtering and cleaning stormwater runoff before it enters larger bodies of water, helping to keep our waterways and drinking water safe and healthy
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Trapping and soaking in dirt, litter, and pollution before they enter the water
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Preventing flooding by slowing excess water down before it enters our waterways and storm drains
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Providing bees, birds, and other wildlife with food and places to live
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Creating privacy and reducing noise, wind, weather, and geese traffic
Shorelines also stabilize the water's edge, protecting it from erosion. Shoreline erosion is a natural process that occurs on lakes, streams, and rivers. It is the gradual, although sometimes rapid, removal of sediments from the shoreline and its banks and is caused by a number of factors including storms, wave action, rain, ice, winds, runoff, and the loss of trees and other vegetation.
For assistance with shoreline stabilization and beautification, native plants, and buffers, contact our conservationist, Carol Markham, at 716-664-2166 x 1005 or carol@chautuauquawatershed.org.
Other resources for assistance and question related to shorelines, streambank erosion, and stabilization problems can be found at:
