Fall Lakeshore Stabilization on Martin Lake

Project Features:

  • A coconut fiber biolog was installed on top of the previously installed coir-log to raise the elevation.
  • The void space was filled with brush bundles and topsoil.
  • Topsoil was graded by hand.
  • Erosion control fabric was installed over the other project features to hold in place.
  • Live staked above coir logs with Red osier dogwood.
  • Native plants were planted along the top of bank to provide aesthetics, wildlife habitat and additional stabilization.
Photo: Lakeshore stabilization site on Martin Lake, planted with native sedges and wildflowers.

Pollution Reduction:

  • Phosphorus reduction: 0.616 lbs/yr
  • Sediment reduction: 1,450 lbs/yr

Cost-share funding was provided from BWSR SWCD Aid and a contribution from the landowner. ACD provided project administration, design, and project installation.For more information contact Kris Larson, Water Resource Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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Lake Friendly Landscaping Can Also Be Recreation Friendly

Lakes provide habitat for wildlife, recreation opportunities, and natural beauty. Yet, our everyday landscaping choices can negatively impact these vital bodies of water.
Lake-friendly landscaping provides many benefits, and purposeful design can ensure you don't need to compromise access to the water or lakeside recreation opportunities.

What Is Lake-Friendly Landscaping?
Lake-friendly landscaping focuses on reducing pollution and preserving the health of our lakes. It involves making mindful choices in how we design and maintain our outdoor spaces to minimize runoff, limit chemical use, and support natural habitats.

Top Tips for Lake-Friendly Landscaping
1. Minimize Lawn Area: Lawns often need a lot of water and fertilizer, which can lead to nutrient-laden runoff. Reducing lawn space and incorporating groundcovers or mulched areas can help decrease runoff and save time on maintenance.

2. Install a Native Plant Buffer: Native plants are adapted to our local environment, requiring less water, fertilizers, and pesticides. A buffer of native grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees can serve as a natural filter, trapping pollutants and preventing them from reaching the water. Native plant root systems also help reduce soil erosion, both along the shoreline and upslope, preventing excess nutrients from washing into lakes. If you prefer a more formal garden appearance, cluster plants of the same species throughout the area to create a planned look. Frame your lake view by planting taller species along the property boundaries and shorter species toward the center. 

Photo: Demonstrates the conversion of a turf grass lawn to native plants while still maintaining dock access, canoe storage, seating area, and a lakeside fire pit.

3. Manage Stormwater Runoff: Be intentional about where runoff from your property is routed. Directing runoff to rain gardens, permeable areas, or rain barrels will reduce the volume of runoff carrying pollutants directly to the lake.

4. Educate and Involve the Community: Spread the good news; share these practices with neighbors and participate in local conservation efforts. Community-wide adoption of lake-friendly landscaping can have a significant positive impact.

To learn more about lake friendly landscaping contact Mitch Haustein, Stormwater & Shoreland Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Barges Help ACD Reach Difficult Sites

ACD recently had several projects where the contractor used barges to stabilize shorelines that are otherwise be difficult to reach. It has allowed us to stabilize some of the highest priority shorelines and added efficiency to the work. Recent projects have been on Martin Lake and the Rum & Mississippi Rivers. 

At Martin Lake, larger homes on smaller lots often mean that there is no path for equipment to reach the lakeshore from the road. Steep slopes can also prohibit access. At the Mississippi River, the barges allowed materials and equipment for multiple sites to be staged at one location. This eliminated the need to restore damaged lawns and improved construction efficiency.

Small excavators work from the barge itself. The barge is moved up and down the shoreline. In this way the equipment is never driven in the water where it would disturb sediment and destroy aquatic vegetation. For more information contact Jamie Schurbon, Wetland Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Lakeshore Buffer Plantings!

Photo: Homeowners installing a native plant shoreline buffer at Martin Lake, with assistance from ACD.

This June, ACD is planting 10 lakeshore buffers, part of a shoreline stabilization totaling nearly 800 feet of shoreline at three lakes. Native plants help hold in place the shoreline soils against erosion and provide near shore habitat. ACD and its project partners, such as the Sunrise River Watershed Management Organization, have goals of increasing native and stable shorelines. 

"Disappearing" natural shorelines is affecting lake health at many waterbodies in the region. ACD staff regularly assists homeowners who wish to do native shoreline buffers. With a little guidance, these projects can be do-it-yourself installation, or professionally installed. Cost share grants are available. Big or small, each is a step toward healthier, cleaner lakes and rivers. For more information contact, Watershed Projects Manager, Jamie Schurbon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 763-434-2030 ext 210.  

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LAKE GEORGE SHORELINE STABILIZATION PROJECTS IN 2022

Seven lakeshore stabilization project designs are underway for properties on Lake George. ACD staff conducted targeted mailings based on a previously completed erosion inventory and site visits were then conducted at properties with interested landowners. Potential project sites were prioritized by water quality improvement potential, and with the funding available, seven sites were chosen to be developed. Construction of these projects is anticipated for summer, 2022.

Lakeshore stabilization techniques include coir logs, native vegetation buffers, minor regrading of ice heaves, and minimal riprap. The picture to the right shows an eroding shoreline with a short bank height that can be stabilized using a coir log and native vegetation. Stabilization of the lakeshores will reduce pollutant loading to Lake George and thereby provide water quality benefits. The native plant buffer areas will also provide habitat benefits.

Funding is provided by a Rum River Watershed Based Implementation Funding grant and landowner contributions. Watch for additional updates as the projects progress through final design and construction. 

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Lake George Shoreline Stabilization Projects Selected

Seven properties totaling 540 feet of shoreline will be stabilized at Lake George in the coming months. The projects are part of efforts to reverse a trend of declining water quality in the lake and enhance near shore habitat. All of the project sites are on private properties with active shoreline erosion. The work will reduce sediment entering Lake George by 8 tons/yr and phosphorus by 12 lbs/yr.

The seven sites were chosen from all around the lake, and the places where ACD staff determined the greatest pollutant reductions could be achieved with the greatest certainty. We used existing shoreline inventories to identify 35 properties with actively eroding shoreline. Of those properties, 25 expressed interested. ACD staff visited each property and heard first-hand from those landowners about their shorelines. Finally, each shoreline was scored relative to erosive forces, current erosion, benefits of upland buffers to filter runoff, pollutant reduction calculations, and likelihood of success.

$70,000 in grant funds is available for construction. That dollar amount limits work to approximately the top seven projects, however more will be done if construction bids are low. Funding is from a Watershed Based Implementation grant from the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources. The programs for this grant were selected by a team of local partners including city, watershed organization, and soil and water conservation district representatives. Collaborators on the Lake George shoreline program include the Upper Rum River Watershed Management Organization and Lake George Conservation Club.

Shoreline stabilization measures will vary. All include rock or natural fiber protection at the water's edge, as well as a native plant shoreline buffer. Some will include regrading to a stable slope.

Owners of properties selected for shoreline stabilization are being notified now. Surveying, design, and construction bidding will occur in 2021.Projects will be installed in spring 2022.

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