Helping
fish and
wildlife on
your waterfront
property
THE
EDGE
2 The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property
The water’s edge
is a busy place. Northern pike,
bluegills, bass, and other sh spawn in the shallow
water along the shore. Loons, ducks, geese, and other
water birds nest along the banks. Wildlife such as frogs,
otters, and mink live there, too. Shoreline areas – on land
and into the shallow water – provide essential habitat
for sh and wildlife that live in or near Wisconsin’s
lakes, rivers, and streams. Overdeveloped shorelands
can’t support the sh, wildlife, and clean water that are
so appealing to the people attracted to the water’s edge.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happening to many
Wisconsin waterways. e problem is poorly planned
shoreland development. Bit by bit, the cumulative
eects of tens of thousands of waterfront homeowners
“xing up” their property are destroying one of our
state’s most valuable resources – its fragile lake and
stream habitats. Some examples:
Sand trucked in for swimming beaches
covers underwater gravel or silt used by:
• sh for spawning
• mayies for burrows
• frogs for laying eggs.
Aquatic vegetation removed to create
swimming and boating areas eliminates
shoreline-stabilizing plants that are also
habitat for:
• bass and other sh that hide among the plants
and spawn in areas protected from waves
• loons that nest on oating vegetation
• waterfowl that feed on underwater plants
• insects that live among underwater vegetation.
Shoreline shrubs and “unsightly” fallen trees
are removed to create golf course–type lawns,
thus eliminating habitat for wildlife such as:
• songbirds that use these shrubs for nesting
• ducks that lay eggs in native shoreline grasses
• turtles that sun on fallen logs
• bass and pansh that hide in the shade under
toppled trees.
“If you destroy the
natural shoreline
habitat then shing
will get worse
–
and
we cannot x that
situation simply by
stocking or changing
the shing regulations.
If you want great
shing
–
then you
have to protect the
sh habitat.”
Mike Staggs
DNR Fisheries Director
In-Fisherman In-Fisherman
Shoreline habitat
The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property 3
Owners of shoreland property
oen bring with them the traditional landscaping
ideas centered on the conventional suburban yard that strives for the “clean” look of a
golf course or a beach. Yet, besides eliminating sh and wildlife habitat, this type of
landscaping also creates problems for homeowners such as:
• Green water: A mowed lawn sends rain runo carrying fertilizers, pet waste,
and lawn clippings to the water, where they fuel algae blooms that make swimming
less enjoyable.
• More erosion: Water plants such as bulrushes, cattails, and coontail soen the
erosive eects of waves along shores. Removing these plants increases erosion.
• Nuisance wildlife problems: Manicured lawns attract geese, which are grazers.
In one week, an adult goose can produce 15 pounds of slippery, smelly droppings.
e combined eect of shoreland alterations by many property owners on a lake or river
can destroy habitat and cause declines in sh and wildlife populations. It’s ironic that
many waterfront property owners buy their lots because they enjoy nature and then
unknowingly harm habitat by altering the natural landscape. Most species of sh and
wildlife don’t thrive along sandy swimming beaches or on mowed lawns. ey do best
within the tangles of aquatic plants (“weeds”) and shoreline understory cover (“brush”)
that waterfront residents frequently remove.
Sorry, songbirds
All natural vegetation along the water’s
edge has been eliminated—and with it has
gone the shrubs and grasses needed by
birds, butteries, and other wildlife.
Chris Frieburger
Landscaping that’s unfriendly
to sh and wildlife
Rocky future
Rain that would
seep into the soil
ows more quickly
off rocks and lawns
straight into the
water. The runoff
carries pet waste,
fertilizer, and other
pollutants.
“
Clean
”
lawns can
make dirty water
Make a new wish, sh
With all the aquatic vegetation gone, sh
have no place to live. Waves will stir up
sediment and destroy spawning areas.
4 The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property
Shoreline habitat
consists of many natural
elements woven into the aquatic ecosystem to form
a web of life. Native vegetation, bottom materials,
and natural debris play essential roles in the life
cycles of sh and wildlife. Nearshore alterations
that damage or destroy these habitat components
sever essential strands in the web. As a result, the
ecosystem is weakened, wildlife move elsewhere,
and sh numbers decline.
Amy B. Beyer
What can you do?
The value of
shoreline habitat
Stephen J. Lang
A growing number of water-
front dwellers are switching
to native sedges and grass-
es, broadleaf groundcover
plants, shrubs, subcanopy
and canopy trees, instead
of mowed lawns. In addition
to helping wildlife, native
plants require little to no
maintenance, and will repel
nuisance geese. That frees
up more of your time to go
shing, watch wildlife, and
otherwise enjoy being near
the water.
Lightly developed shoreline = lots of sh and wildlife
Overdeveloped shoreline = few sh and wildlife
The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property 5
Nearshore vegetation
provides habitat for many
wildlife species. Waterfowl nest in shoreline grasses, while
songbirds build their nests in trees and shrubs. Natural
shorelines are wildlife highways, or travel corridors, for
animals such as mink. Grasshoppers, ants, and other insects
that live in shoreline vegetation are blown into the water,
where they are eaten by bluegills and other sh.
A tidy lawn and a sandy beach make great spots for sun-
bathing and swimming, but they provide little habitat
for sh and wildlife. By leaving a buer area of natural
vegetation along the shoreline, property owners can
reduce erosion, help maintain water quality, and provide
habitat and travel corridors for wildlife.
e width of the buer strip depends upon the terrain.
A signicant body of research suggests that a 35-foot
shoreland buer is inadequate for several buer func-
tions. e wider the buer the more wildlife habitat it
can provide, especially for less common species. On a
gentle slope, having at least 35 to 50 feet of natural
vegetation between the water’s edge and your mowed
lawn will accommodate the needs of some shoreline
wildlife. On steeper grades, leaving even more natural
vegetation in place will stabilize soils and reduce the
need for retaining walls or other erosion prevention.
Trees and shrubs in the buer strip can mue noise from
watercra, provide increased privacy for residents, and
provide nesting areas for songbirds.
Avoid using pesticides or fertilizers in the buer area,
because harmful chemicals can leach into the water.
Pesticides kill benecial insects living in shoreline
vegetation that are important foods for sh, birds, and
other wildlife.
Along your shoreline, try to maintain a
buffer of at least a 35 to 50 feet of native
grasses, wildowers, shrubs, and trees.
Healthy nearshore areas typically contain
a canopy layer of trees like sugar maple,
white pine, or red oak, a mid-canopy
layer of smaller or younger trees such
as ironwood, hazels, and willows, and a
ground layer of shrubs, ferns, forbs,
and grasses. Benecial aquatic plants
include bulrushes, wild rice, arrowhead,
cattails, and bur reeds.
Have your lawn
—
and wildlife, too.
Kathleen Preece
Buer area
You don’t need to
give up your lawn and
dock to create natural,
wildlife-friendly shore-
land. If you have 100 feet
of shoreline, consider
reverting at least 70 feet
back to its natural
condition and keeping
no more than 30 feet
for a view corridor, boat
dock and swimming
area.
Additionally, if you re-
store the last 35 feet or
more down to the water
to natural grasses and
shrubs, you can still
keep some lawn up near
the house or cabin while
helping frogs, ducks,
songbirds, butteries,
and other wildlife.
6 The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property
Because most Wisconsin lakes and rivers
are
surrounded by trees and shrubs, storms and winds oen
blow woody “debris” (i.e., branches, limbs, and trees)
into the water. is fallen wood is more than just debris,
it forms critical habitat for tiny aquatic organisms that
feed bluegills, turtles, craysh and other critters. Water
insects such as mayies graze on the algae that grow on
decomposing wood. Dragony nymphs hunt for prey
among the stems and branches. Largemouth and small-
mouth bass oen nd food, shelter, or nesting habitat
among these fallen trees.
Above water, a fallen tree is like a dock for wildlife. Ducks
and turtles loaf and sun themselves on the trunk. Muskrats
use the tree as a feeding platform. Predators such as mink
and otter hunt for prey in the vicinity of the tree. Dead
trees that remain along the shoreline are used as perches
by belted kingshers, ospreys, and songbirds.
Many waterfront residents consider this woody cover
unsightly and remove it from their shoreline. In northern
Wisconsin, undeveloped lakeshores contain one log for
every ve feet of shoreline, while tree-falls may entirely
disappear on highly developed lakes. Yet this takes away
hiding and feeding areas for many sh and wildlife species.
Unless the fallen tree is a hazard to navigation or swim-
ming, consider leaving it in the water to provide sh and
wildlife habitat, shing, and wildlife observation.
Waterfowl,
turtles, and
other wildlife
use fallen
trees as loaf-
ing sites.
Leave fallen trees in
the water to provide
habitat for sh and
wildlife.
S. Nielsen
What can you do?
Woody cover
The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property 7
Rock and gravel
bottoms are im-
portant spawn ing
areas for game
sh such as
walleyes and
forage species
such as suckers,
darters, and
some minnows.
•
When buying
property, look for
shoreline and lake
bottom that match
your desires. Don’t
expect to change
it into something
it isn’t.
•
If you have a
sandy beach,
reduce its size to
allow for more
natural shoreland
and underwater
vegetation.
What can you do?
In-Fisherman
Boom materials
Local geography and geology
determine what
natural materials exist on lakebeds, riverbeds and shore-
lines. Hard bottoms and beaches made up of sand or
gravel are usually in open areas exposed to waves. So
bottoms composed of muck are usually in shallow,
sheltered bays. Areas with lots of rocks and boulders
were le by receding glaciers 10,000 years ago.
Bottom material, called substrate, is used by sh and
other aquatic life. Walleyes spawn on the clean gravel of
wave-swept shorelines. Mucky bottoms support insects
and other invertebrates that provide food for sh and
wildlife. Craysh, smallmouth bass, and other species
hide and forage among rocks.
Pure sand is the least ecologically productive bottom
substrate. Yet waterfront dwellers frequently buy property
and then alter the shore and bottom by dumping sand
to improve a swimming area. Creating sand beaches on
so bottoms is expensive, and covering rock-rubble
bottoms with sand destroys sh spawning areas.
Before creating a beach, waterfront owners should know
that their shoreline alteration will take away sh and
wildlife habitat from the entire shoreland ecosystem and
will require a permit from the DNR or county zoning
oce.
8 The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property
Emergent Plants
Floating-leaf Plants
Submerged Plants
Algae
�
Often dismissed as “weeds
” by many waterfront
property owners, aquatic plants provide essential sh and
wildlife habitat and help keep waters clean and healthy.
rough photosynthesis, aquatic vegetation produces
oxygen for the lakes and rivers. ese plants also use
nutrients that might otherwise fuel midsummer algae
blooms. A diverse complement of aquatic plants provide
food for waterfowl and are a tremendously important
aspect of nearshore habitat for many shes. Plants provide
habitat for the invertebrates sh feed on. Fish such as
northern pike and yellow perch lay their eggs on aquatic
plants. ey also provide food, shelter, and nesting areas
for sh, invertebrates, and wildlife.
Removing aquatic vegetation to improve boating or
swimming eliminates sh habitat and damages the root
network that holds bottom sediments in place. For example,
bulrushes help trap silt carried by waves from covering
bottom gravel used by bass and pansh for spawning.
When bulrush beds are removed, unchecked waves begin
to erode previously protected shorelines.
Wave action and boat wakes also stir up sediment, causing
the water to become murky. If sunlight cannot penetrate
the cloudy water, many healthy and vibrant lakes and
rivers can eventually turn into a green soup, devoid of
most desirable sh and wildlife species.
Shoreline vegetation
provides critical habitat for
many aquatic insects to
complete their life-cycle,
such as these mating
damselies.
What can you do?
•
Leave aquatic
plants along your
shoreline.
•
Explore options for
re-establishing
aquatic plants along
your shoreline.
•
If you must remove
plants, limit their
removal to an area
needed for boat
access.
Biologists refer to aquatic plants as emergent, submergent, and
oating-leaf vegetation. Emergent vegetation protrudes above
the water’s surface; submergent vegetation stays underwater;
and oating-leaf plants rest on the water surface.
Robert Korth
Aquatic vegetation
The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property 9
Healthy wetlands attract nesting and migrating waterfowl.
•
Don’t ll or alter
wetlands, even if
they’re only wet in
the spring.
•
Consider restoring
drained or lled
wetlands.
What can you do?
Wetlands
Shoreline wetlands
are habitat for a diverse com-
munity of plants and animals such as northern pike, which
spawn among aquatic vegetation. Nutrient-rich sediments
and soils in wetlands support insects, frogs, and other small
animals eaten by sh and wildlife. Wetland vegetation
provides food and cover for waterfowl, muskrats, and
other wildlife.
Wetlands help keep lakes and rivers clean by ltering
sediments and excess nutrients. Acting like natural sponges,
wetlands slow down water. is function reduces ooding,
stabilizes stream ows and lake levels, and provides
recharge for groundwater.
Marshes, bogs, bulrush beds, and other shoreline wetlands
have been disrupted by waterfront property owners to
create boat docks and swimming beaches. e loss of
wetlands leads to poorer water quality, lower sh and
wildlife populations, and more frequent ooding.
S. Nielsen
10 The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property
Trees, bushes, and other
native plants are often cut
down to make room for
houses and lawns. When
multiplied around a shoreline,
this destruction threatens the
natural quality of Wisconsin
lakes and rivers.
A watershed is a basin that collects water from the landscape surrounding, a lake or
river. A healthy lake or river depends on a healthy watershed. Logging, farming,
livestock grazing, and urban development occurring in a watershed can aect water
quality. Some lake and river associations map their watershed to inventory and
evaluate activities taking place there. When activities that degrade water quality are
discovered, people living in the watershed work together to nd a solution.
Pollutants and eroding soil within the entire watershed can easily end up in surface waters.
Poor land use even several miles away can end up harming sh and wildlife habitat.
Protecting watersheds
Chris Frieburger
We’re all responsible
It’s up to everyone
who values Wisconsin’s waters to keep them healthy and produc-
tive. Many waterfront dwellers wonder what dierence alterations to their single lot
could possibly make. But when the actions of dozens or hundreds of individual property
owners are added up, the sum eect can alter the habitat and water quality on that
waterbody. e cumulative harm from shoreline alterations by many shoreland property
owners aects swimming, shing, wildlife watching, and the overall health of our water
resources.
It’s like walking in a garden. If a neighbor kid came though once, that would be no big
deal. But if the whole neighborhood came through, your garden would be trampled.
The Water’s Edge – Helping Fish and Wildlife on Your Waterfront Property 11
Healthy lakes and rivers
are necessary for functioning
ecosystems. e water is safe for
swimming and shing. e
aquatic habitat supplies food,
cover, and spawning areas for
sh. Natural shoreline vegeta-
tion supports songbirds, small
mammals, and other wildlife.
Throughout the watershed,
land management activities are
planned to minimize impacts
to water quality.
A healthy lake or river does not
just happen. Shoreline property
owners and others living in the
watershed must take steps to
ensure the ecological health
of lakes and rivers. Only if more
waterfront owners manage
their shoreline in a natural
condition can sh and wild-
life populations on Wisconsin
lakes and rivers stay healthy
and abundant.
Good shing doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of clean water and abundant spawning habitat
found in lakes and rivers that still have plenty of natural shoreline.
More things to know:
Kathleen Preece
Prescription for
healthy waters
Several state and county laws and rules
protect shoreland and shallow water areas.
For example, statewide, it is illegal to build
most structures within 75 feet of the shore,
or to place ll on lake beds.
Shoreland Management is a partnership
between state and local government. Each
county has its own shoreland zoning ordinance
that regulates development near navigable
lakes and streams, in compliance with state-
wide standards. Check with your local county
zoning ofce before cutting or removing
shoreland vegetation, disturbing land, or
planning buildings, driveways, parking areas,
sidewalks, patios or decks.
To learn which shoreline alterations are
prohibited or require a permit, call your local
DNR or County Zoning Oce.
Cover art by Larry Tople.
Modied and used with permission.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources PUB-FH-428 04 revised 2019
University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension GWQ040
The Water’s Edge – Helping sh and wildlife on your waterfront property
©
Copyrighted 2019, State of Wisconsin, Department of Natural Resources. Material adapted with permission from Minnesota
DNR, Section of Fisheries publication: The Water’s Edge.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources acknowledges the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region V (through
Section 319 of the Clean Water Act) for its involvement in the partial funding of this publication. Printing of this publication was
supported by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Center for Land Use Education.
University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wisconsin
counties, publishes this information to further the purpose of the May 8 and June 30, 1914, Acts of Congress. An EEO/AA employer,
the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including
Title VI, Title IX, and ADA requirements. If you have a disability and require this information in an alternative format, or if you would
like to submit a copyright request, contact Division of Extension Publishing at 702 Langdon St., L50 Pyle Center, Madison, WI 53706;
[email protected]; or (608) 263-2770 (711 for Relay).
This publication is available from your Wisconsin county Extension oce (counties.extension.wisc.edu) or from Division of
Extension Publishing. To order, call toll-free 1-877-947-7827 or visit our website at learningstore.extension.wisc.edu.
Division of Extension publications are subject to peer review.
For more information
County Conservationists can help you restore shoreline wildlife habitat on your waterfront
property. Give us a call, and we’ll show you and your neighbors how to plan restoration
projects and improve the habitat along a waterfront. Local sheries biologists can help
you if you’re interested in placing trees in the water for habitat. County zoning sta will
be happy to explain the rules and how property owners can design their project so that it
meets personal and environmental concerns and let you know if a permit is needed.
County Conservationists wisconsinlandwater.org/les/pdf/WILandWaterDirectory.pdf
Local sheries biologists dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/people/sheriesbiologists.html
County zoning sta wccadm.com/wcca-contacts
Healthy Lakes: Choose best practices for your property, which can include native
plantings for shoreline wildlife habitat, rain gardens and more healthylakeswi.com
Fish sticks: Improving lake habitat dnr.wi.gov/topic/shing/outreach/shsticks.html
Other helpful publications:
e Living Shore, a 17-minute video produced by UW–Madison Division of Extension
and University of Minnesota Extension about the importance of leaving a natural buer zone
between the lake and lake owners’ dwellings and also provides information about selecting
and planting shoreline plants. Available at youtube.com/watch?v=1ZxlwPVlhm8, or
check your local library for a copy.
A Second Life for Trees in Lakes: As Useful in Water as ey Were on Land. 2016.
Fish use submerged trees in a variety of ways. Many species spawn on, adjacent to or
under trees that provide cover that helps some species protect their incubating brood.
Available at learningstore.uwex.edu
Protecting Our Living Shores. 2014. e authors sketch the intricate interconnection
between plants, animals and water along Wisconsin shores. ey discuss the grasses,
owers and trees that can be planted to restore a shore to its native state. Available at
learningstore.uwex.edu
Water Plants: A Case for Preserving Wisconsin’s Aquatic Plants is available at
uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/UWEXLakes/Documents/resources/bookstore/WaterPlants.pdf
Impervious Surfaces: How ey Impact Fish, Wildlife and Waterfront Property Values.
2013. How property owners can develop their properties with less impact on sh,
wildlife and property values. Available at learningstore.uwex.edu, or video version at
youtube.com/watch?v=UPjPnaGNB1c&t=2s
