Restore Your Shore

Protect and enhance the health of your shoreline using willow branches and native plants.

STORY AND PHOTOS MICHELLE MERO RIEDEL

Gretchen and Chris Cudak own 3.5 acres of land, including 175 feet of shoreline on Lake Bertha, north of Brainerd, Minn. It’s a peaceful setting with a comfortable cabin, excellent views of the lake and natural shoreline.

Like many lakeshore property owners, the Cudaks have noticed their shoreline receding due to waves, drought and erosion. There are many options for dealing with receding shorelines. Rows of rocks or boulders, commonly called riprap, are popular among landscape companies. Riprap is pretty, but there’s a downside. The sun heats up the rocks which, in turn, heats the water, killing fish eggs and plant life. Since rock is superficial and not in the ground, it can succumb to wave action, erosion and ice heaving. There are better ways to restore your shoreline.

Riprap wasn’t an option for the Cudaks. “We want to do everything in our power to keep our water and lakeshore healthy for future generations,” Gretchen says. They decided on a natural approach.

They met Kristie Roedl, shoreline restoration volunteer for the Whitefish Area Property Owner’s Association, at a seminar. Kristie shared some natural shoreline restoration options. She also informed the Cudaks that federal grant money was available if they applied through the Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation district (CWSWC) (See below). This option was a no-brainer for the Cudaks.

The CWSWC provides support and suggestions based on the lakeshore conditions. The Cudaks filled out an onsite visit request form, got a site analysis for a small fee, then a bid. The next step was hiring a shoreline landscape restorer.

WANT TO RESTORE A SLICE OF SHORE? Federal funds from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment for native shoreline health and improvement provided a stimulant to help the Cudaks start their project. Funded projects are reimbursed for half the cost incurred. If you are losing shoreline and are interested in restoring it, contact your local soil and water conservation district for information, funding support and a site analysis. Note that not all projects are funded.

Property plan

Laura Mendoza Romero, owner of Great Roots in Aitkin, Minn., used the site analysis to create a landscape plan. She recommended adding 850 native plants along the shore, including: plants of differing heights, a low grassy area with path rush (Juncus tenuis) for the family dog and foot traffic, an assortment of flowers with staggered bloom times for pollinators to enjoy, plus long-root shrubs, grasses and sedges. Before planting day, Gretchen removed reed canary grass and crown vetch. Short roots make the grass impractical for a lakeshore, and vetch has spreading rhizomes that could impede surrounding plant growth.

Planting day

On June 9, 2023, after a year of planning, 27 volunteers—friends, family and lakeshore restoration enthusiasts— gathered to plant 850 native sedges, grasses, shrubs and flowering perennials along the shore. Just before planting, they installed a wattle, or natural fence, made of willow branches. “It’s the key to success, keeping the plants in place by protecting the shoreline long-term from erosion,” Laura says. (See sidebar.)

Volunteers gathered the willow, bundled the branches together tightly with sisal baler twine every 2 to 3 feet and carried the bundles to the shore. They pounded 3-foot stakes in about 3 feet apart, using half-inch sisal rope to tie the stakes.

“I like to use that size so that it lasts long enough and can support the waves,” Laura says. “I don’t use it in every project, but I like to do it where there is more wave action, either from boat traffic or wind, as a way to secure the willow better.” Eventually the stakes decompose as they are pushed further against the shore due to wave action.

The volunteers settled native plants into the wattle. They planted shorter plants about a foot apart. A trowel worked well, but even better was a drill with a 24-inch long, 3-inch auger bit to create a hole a little wider than the size of the plant plug. The native plants’ long roots, which can grow up to 6 feet deep, will help hold the wattle in place.

By protecting their shoreline, the Cudaks created a maintenancefree solution that reduces erosion and creates an attractive garden for pollinators and wildlife.

10 BEST LAKESHORE NATIVES

The perks of planting natives are plentiful. Dense root systems absorb excess rainwater, preventing erosion, while deep roots filter fertilizers, pesticides and other pollutants. Native varieties require fewer resources and upkeep (think watering, fertilizing and mowing) than non-natives, and they provide habitat and food for small fish, pollinators and other wildlife. They help reduce air pollution and can increase property value. And if that’s not enough, no-edge mowing even keeps phosphorus and lake weeds at bay. Fifty-four different native varieties dot the Cudaks’ shoreline—here are Laura’s top 10.

Blue flag iris (Iris versicolor)

Height: 24-36 in.

Location: Water's edge

Zone: 3 to 9

Common rush (Uncus effusus)

Height: 48 in.

Location: Water's edge

Zone: 4 to 9

Sweet flag (Acorus calamus)

Height: 24 in.

Location: Water's edge

Zone: 4 to 10

Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Height: 6-9 ft.

Location: Shoreline shrub

Zone: 3 to 7

Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba)

Height: 36-48 in.

Location: Shoreline shrub

Zone: 3 to 7

Brown fox sedge (Carex vulpinoidea)

Height: 12-36 in.

Location: Lake bank

Zone: 3 to 7

Lake sedge (Carex lacustris)

Height: 36-48 in.

Location: Lake bank

Zone: 3 to 6

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Height: 36-48 in.

Location: Lake bank

Zone: 3 to 6

Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

Height: 24-36 in.

Location: Lake bank

Zone: 4 to 9

Golden alexander (Zizia aurea)

Height: 24-36 in.

Location: Lake bank

Zone: 3 to 8

Meet Laura Mendoza Romero

After earning a degree in environmental science and running an organic agriculture consulting business in Mexico, Laura moved to northern Minnesota in 2019 with her Minnesota-native husband. She helped the Cudaks with their shoreline plan, ordering plants and supplying the willow. On installation day, she helped volunteers make the willow wattle log, stake it to the shoreline and add the plants.

WHY A WILLOW WATTLE?

An old English term, a wattle is a fence or log made of interlocking branches. This natural barrier supports erosion control by collecting debris, giving young plants time to establish roots and rebuilding the shoreline over time. The wattle eventually disappears under sand and roots. Willow is best because it grows thin and tall, up to 10 feet. Laura dries the branches for two weeks after cutting to prevent sprouting.