Native plants, such as Western Sunflowers, capture excess nutrients with their long roots.

“We encourage the planting of a greenbelt when lakeshore owners come to us for a soil erosion permit,” says Heidi Lang, Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Officer in Antrim County. “We work with builders and excavators, urging them to work a greenbelt into the design and landscaping of a new home site.”

Greenbelts are buffer areas of vegetation between the water’s edge and a waterfront owner’s lawn. They help protect water quality by filtering stormwater and controlling sedimentation flowing into lakes, rivers and streams. Lang says many Chain of Lakes property owners care deeply about water quality and want to do everything they can to help. “It is a constant process of education, and it’s beginning to really pay off, as we are seeing more and more of the shorelines turned into buffer areas and greenbelts.”

Lang also points out that greenbelts replicate the beauty of northern Michigan, and also use much less fertilizer and less water than ordinary grass. She said a greenbelt can be 10 feet wide to 20 feet wide. “Property owners can still have a pathway going down to the water, but a large portion of the waterfront can be planted with native plants like River Birch, Black-eyed Susans, Juniper, Dwarf Lilacs or other native species.”

“One of the most encouraging things is that our local nurseries like Pine Hill and Messiah’s emphasize the planting of native plants and also have those varieties available for purchase,” she continued. “More and more landowners want to do the right thing to protect the beauty of our lakes.”

One way to begin a greenbelt is to allow the grass along the shoreline to grow six to eight inches tall, and to reduce the size of lawns running all the way to water’s edge. “Greenbelts also serve to provide privacy to shoreline owners and will encourage more wildlife,” Lang says. “They help purify and hold stormwater before it enters the lake or stream.”

Some local townships on Torch Lake have adopted greenbelt ordinances, which provide for a 30-foot buffer along all waterways. These townships include Elk Rapids, Milton, Helena and Forest Home. Lang says she tries hard to keep a good working relationship with these townships and is hoping additional townships on the lakes will consider adopting greenbelt ordinances.

Lake experts say one of the benefits of greenbelts is a movement back to a day when shoreline areas were much more natural, which encourages fish spawning, acts as a noise control area, and attracts unusual birds and butterflies. Lang says, “Keeping the shoreline natural makes a lot of sense and is much less expensive to maintain than a huge turf lawn. We’re hoping to see more and more greenbelts in the next three to five years in an effort to restore natural shorelines along the Chain of Lakes.”

Native plants, such as Evening Primrose, create beautiful and functional greenbelt gardens.

Begin by Creating a No-Mow Zone

One of the most important things a Chain of Lakes shoreline property owner can do to protect water quality is to maintain or re-establish a native greenbelt along the shoreline of a lake or river. From Torch Lake to Elk Lake and Elk River, many shoreline owners are making this important transition. A greenbelt is a buffer of native vegetation between the water’s edge and a waterfront owner’s lawn. 

Not only do greenbelts protect water quality, they also add beauty and value to shoreline properties and are much less costly to maintain than traditional turf lawns.  Native vegetation running along rivers, streams and lakes is essential for protecting water quality by controlling runoff, minimizing soil erosion and absorbing nutrients.

Natural buffers also provide vital wildlife habitat, increase privacy and greatly lower lawn care costs. The wider the greenbelt, the better.  An effective greenbelt should span at least 75 percent of the shoreline length and be twenty to fifty feet wide.  Appropriate widths can depend on many factors such as slope and soil type.

One quick and easy way to start a greenbelt is to create a no-mow zone. Native grasses and wildflowers will be some of the first plants to appear.

Local nurseries can help with planning this process.  Nursery experts say greenbelts should have diverse and densely placed plantings that take into consideration site characteristics such as slope and topography. These buffers can include many interesting plants such as: Juniper, Birch, Dwarf Lilacs, Goldenrod, White Spruce, Wintergreen, Bracken Fern, Bunchberry and many other varieties, including native shrubs, trees and flowers.

Other benefits of greenbelts include:

• Attracting butterflies and birds
• Encouraging fish spawning
• Deterring geese
• Controlling noise  
• Providing privacy  

According to lake experts, many of the shoreline areas lost their native greenbelts decades ago--but they also note a growing movement by shoreline property owners to return to more natural buffer zones and greenbelts along the lakes and rivers in northern Michigan. Local nurseries also confirm more and more people want to “go natural” and restore the shore to help improve water quality.

Junegrass is a native plant that absorbs excess phosphorus and provides textural intrigue.

“Keep it natural,” explains Alana Haley, a landscape designer with Pine Hill Nursery 10 miles north of Elk Rapids on U.S. 31. “Protecting water quality to the edge of the lake or river is one of our big priorities.”

Haley says more and more customers want to coordinate a landscaping plan that helps protect water quality along their lakefront properties. This process called “lakescaping” minimizes lawns, promotes buffer zones, emphasizes native plants, and uses organic fertilizers.

“We’ve been doing this for many years,” Haley says. “It’s an education process as people move from traditional lawns to lakescaping to help reduce their footprint on shoreline properties. More and more of our customers are asking for alternatives and are choosing to do the right thing.”

“Not only can we design a lakescaping plan, we can provide all of the necessary plants and organic fertilizers to get the job done,” Haley says. “Different types of shorelines lead to different designs, but the idea all along is to help protect water quality.”

Lake experts agree that a lakescaping plan using organic, no-phosphorus fertilizers along with planting native plants and perennial gardens helps protect water quality along Antrim County’s Chain of Lakes. When too much phosphorus makes its way from lawns into lakes and streams, it promotes the rapid weed growth and algae. Lakescaping provides a filter to capture and cleanse pollutant-carrying runoff before it reaches the water.

Haley says the plan should include perennials, shrubs, small trees and native plants. “Eliminating traditional lawns also helps control erosion and creates additional habitat for wildlife.”

Some of the suggested plants to be included in a lakescaping plan include: Common Juniper, Grow-low Sumac, Purple Coneflower, Sweetspire, False Sunflower, Michigan Holly, shrubby St. Johnwort, and Blue Hair grass. All are available at Pine Hill Nursery.

“Not only does a lakescaping plan make the shoreline look more beautiful,” Haley says, “It also is much less expensive to maintain and provides more leisure time for people to enjoy the water.”

Other tips to a successful lakescaping plan include:

• Using pervious paving stones when planning patios and pathways

• Modifying your existing landscape by incorporating depressions or adding borders    designed to capture water runoff
• Considering a substantial reduction in the square footage of your turf grass. Using ground cover can add visual appeal and diminish your impact on water quality

Smooth Blue Asters are native flowers well-suited to lakescaping.

Ask any lake expert about one of the most important ways to maintain water quality in the Antrim County Chain of Lakes area, and you’ll almost always hear “keep it natural.” This can easily be accomplished by shoreline property owners using a concept called “lakescaping.”

Lakescaping, or landscaping along lakefront properties, emphasizes natural plantings utilizing native flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs while minimizing turf lawn. With this approach the homeowner makes environmentally sound decisions that help preserve the character and quality of the land as well as protecting water quality. The concept emphasizes planting native plants that do not require supplemental water, fertilizers, pesticides or best of all, excessive maintenance.

Traditional lawns have few of the benefits of a more natural shoreline and provide little wildlife habitat. They also need frequent maintenance and are often overfertilized.

Did you know that excess fertilizers, pesticides, and other materials found around shoreline home sites wash into the lake after a heavy rain?  These substances can alter the water’s chemical and biological characteristics, and degrade water quality. Be sure to use a phosphorus-free lawn fertilizer. The nutrient code on the fertilizer bag should have a zero as the middle number to indicate it is phosphorous-free.

More and more lakefront owners are turning to lakescaping as a popular alternative. Stop by one of our local nurseries to get shoreline-friendly tips, good advice, and help with a lakescaping plan.  Many of these nurseries also supply the types of plants used in this concept.

Some of the benefits of lakescaping are:

• Providing habitat for a wide variety of wildlife 
• Preventing shoreline erosion 
• Filtering pollutants and runoff that degrade water quality 
• Reducing yard maintenance and providing more leisure time 
• Increasing property value

Tall Coreopsis is a native plant with long roots that absorb runoff.

An Exciting Idea Begins to Grow

With protecting water quality listed as a top priority for Antrim County’s Chain of Lakes region, the popularity of rain gardens from Six Mile Lake to Lake Skegemog is one of the fastest growing areas of interest for home landscaping.

Rain gardens, technically called bioretention systems, were first conceived by stormwater experts in the early 1990s.  They were invented as a way of imitating the natural filtering of stormwater before it reaches a lake or a stream.

Stormwater runoff often carries fertilizers and other pollutants with it as it flows into the nearest waterway.

A rain garden is a natural depression in the ground designed to absorb rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roads, driveways, walkways, roofs and compacted lawn areas. The ideal depth is about four to six inches deep with a flat bottom. Rain gardens are designed to capture and hold storm runoff, allowing it to soak directly into the ground.

Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they do not require fertilizers and are adapted to northern Michigan’s climate. Wildflowers, sedges, rushes, ferns, shrubs and small trees can be planted. Wetland-loving wildflowers such as Joe Pye Weed, Marsh Marigold and Blue Flag Iris are recommended.

Rain gardens should be strategically located to intercept stormwater runoff.  Studies have shown that up to 70 percent of pollution in rivers, lakes and streams is carried there by stormwater. This type of pollution causes increased algae growth and destroys fish habitat.

Some of the other advantages of rain gardens include:

• Using little or no pesticides 
• Maintenance similar to perennial gardens 
• No need for watering after established         
• Attracting beautiful birds, butterflies and wildlife 

The best way to get started building your own rain garden is to contact a local nursery or browse the Internet; www.raingardens.org is a helpful web site. With the popularity of rain gardens increasing, the amount of information available is plentiful.

A rain garden in Traverse City's Hull Park.

Capture Stormwater to Protect Water Quality

“It’s very much a replication of a kind of wetland,” explains Heidi Lang, Antrim County Soil Erosion Officer. “The idea is to filter water before it reaches a lake or stream with a new technique called a rain garden.”

Lang, who works closely with excavators and builders when issuing soil erosion permits, says she’s excited to see more and more rain gardens being constructed in Antrim County and especially in the Chain of Lakes area. “The key is, they control stormwater, retain it, then let it filter directly into the ground.” This helps protect the region’s vital water quality and provides homeowners a way to beautify their property.

Lang says rain gardens are growing quickly in popularity. “They can be symmetrical or wild depending on the desires of the property owner. They act as a beautiful detention basin and should be placed in a strategic place to collect stormwater runoff before it drains to our lakes or rivers.”

Lang says the ideal depth is about six inches. “Rain gardens not only help filter stormwater runoff, they also are an ideal solution to soil erosion problems and keep sediment from flowing into our waterways.”

 Sedimentation is a major problem, as it covers natural areas on river and lake bottoms that provide fish habitat and spawning areas.

Although most rain gardens are being constructed by private property owners, Lang praised the Village of Elk Rapids for incorporating a large rain garden into a street improvement project on the east side of the village. “We would love to see more villages and townships using rain gardens as a technique to filter stormwater.” She also praised a new rain garden being designed near downtown Alden.

Lake experts say controlling the flow of stormwater into area lakes and streams is an important part of protecting water quality. A rain garden is a natural way to help solve these stormwater problems, helps recharge ground water, and creates habitat for birds, butterflies and wildlife.

“The best way to plant a rain garden is with native species because they do not require fertilizers,” Lang explains. “Native wildflowers, ferns, sedges, and small bushes and trees work very well and require almost no maintenance and no fertilizers.”

“This is an easy and fun way for shoreline property owners to do their part in helping to maintain our water quality,” Lang says.

Leadplant is a native plant with long roots, which soak up more runoff and prevent erosion.

How Much Lawn Do You Need?

As spring lawn care activities swing into high gear along Antrim County’s Chain of Lakes, there are many things shoreline residents can do to help protect water quality and still maintain a perfectly green lawn.

One of the most important is selecting a phosphorous-free fertilizer, which is available at local nurseries and hardware stores.

Studies of our local lakes indicate that lawn fertilizer is one of the largest sources of pollution. Fertilizers containing even small amounts of phosphorous promote growth of harmful algae and aquatic plants that degrade water quality.

In addition, soil testing should be conducted to determine if fertilizers are needed. Testing is available through the Michigan State University Extension office in Bellaire. MSU will return test results with fertilizer recommendations. If fertilizer is necessary, be sure to fertilize the lawn and not the lake. Use the smallest amount of fertilizer. It should not be applied just before a rain.

Experts say the average lawn receives 10 times as many chemical pesticides and fertilizers per acre as typical farmland, suggesting that many lawns are overfertilized.

Lakefront owners should also consider planting a fescue mixture rather than bluegrass when establishing a new lawn. Fescue requires much less nitrogen than bluegrass and is better suited to weather conditions in northern Michigan. Always choose a locally adapted grass for lawns. Ask the folks at the local hardware store or nursery for advice.

Another tip is to leave natural vegetation along the shoreline. Maintaining trees, shrubs and ground cover helps to preserve water quality, as these plants act as a pollution filter and protect property from erosion. These shoreline buffers enhance property value and can be trimmed to provide views of the lakes. Many lake experts advise “leaving it natural” as the best possible way to protect water quality.

One piece of advice that is often overlooked is the height of the grass. The recommended cutting height is 2 to 2 ½ inches. This allows healthier, greener growth and cuts out the need for excessive fertilization. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn helps retain moisture and adds important nutrients to the soil.

People who don’t live on the water can also use all of the above lawn care tips anywhere in the Elk River Chain of Lakes watershed. It is helpful to remember that what is applied to the land often winds up in our local streams, rivers and lakes. All of the water in the Chain of Lakes flows into Grand Traverse Bay at Elk Rapids.

Joe Pye Weed is a native plant that attracts butterflies.

“Most people are happy to do the right thing,” says Bill Beals of Greenworld Landscaping based in Alden. “I try to build my lawncare and landscaping business around educating homeowners about using common sense to protect water quality.”

Eighty percent of Beals’ clients are lakefront homeowners on Torch Lake, Lake Bellaire, Elk Lake and other lakes in Antrim County’s Chain of Lakes area. With more than 30 years of landscaping experience in the region, Beals says he encourages his customers to use no phosphorus fertilizers. “My advice has been the same for many years--I urge them:  the less chemicals, the better.”

Beals says eco-friendly fertilizers are available at local nurseries and hardware stores, including Pine Hill Nursery, Torch River Hardware, and McGough’s in Traverse City. Lake experts say phosphorus and other chemicals degrade water quality by creating harmful algae and plant growth, which harm native fish and encourage invasive species to thrive.

“More customers are now starting to wonder and ask what is being put on their lawn. I think it is important for me to educate them about the different options now available,” Beals says. “In most cases we advise leaving many existing natural features alone and tell them not to do too much. Often we hope to catch new customers and get them to do the right thing as well. We urge them to keep the ‘up north’ feel. Sometimes people often regret what they did with landscaping and want us to change it.”

With more than 100 customers, Beals says, “Nature has a plant for every niche, and we try to find a balance between natural and heavily maintained.” He advises lakefront property owners not to strive for a suburban style lawn in northern Michigan. “If we make changes to what is naturally growing, it will create added maintenance expenses along with more lawn to mow.” A recent study confirms natural vegetation costs 48 percent less to maintain than traditional landscaping.

Another bit of advice from Beals is to keep lawn height at 2 ½ to 3 inches and to have soil tested. This is easy and inexpensive; contact the MSU Extension Service Office in Bellaire. Soil tests will confirm the condition of the soil. They are cheap and efficient, and cost around $10.

Beals also encourages lakefront owners to plant shoreline buffers along the edge of the water. He said lilies, juniper, perennials and groundcovers will allow a beautiful view of the lake without compromising water quality.

Vegetative buffers not only help stabilize the shoreline and prevent erosion, but also keep many nutrients from flowing to the lake. “We often recommend flowering shrubs or dwarf lilacs and leaving as much of the natural vegetation alone,” he says.

Mix yard waste and fresh fruit and veggie scraps for rich compost.

Composting is nature’s way of recycling.  The result of composting is a rich, crumbly, dark soil resulting from decomposing organic materials such as leaves, grass and biodegradable kitchen scraps.  When used in your garden, this compost reduces the need for watering and fertilizer, while at the same time greatly enhancing your plant growth.  Expert gardeners often refer to compost material as “black gold” because it acts as a natural fertilizer.

It’s easy for anybody to start a compost pile in the back yard.  It can be as simple as creating a small rounded wire fence or as sophisticated as buying a composter.  Many different models are available, and they are inexpensive.

Grass clippings, leaves, sawdust, vegetable scraps, pine needles, egg shells, coffee grounds, as well as fruit and vegetable scraps can all be mixed together in a compost pile. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that nearly 50 percent of municipal waste is made up of leaves, yard waste, food scraps and paper. By creating a simple compost pile near your back gate, watershed residents can keep all of these items out of the solid waste stream trucked to regional landfills.

Home composting is the ultimate way to claim responsibility for the ton or two of compostable waste each individual generates per year. More sophisticated gardeners may also use red worms in compost bins to increase the pace of decomposition.

With water quality and land stewardship top priorities in the Chain of Lakes region, composting is a simple thing you can do to make a difference. It is a way to recycle without leaving home. Any area nursery can help landowners get started, plus the Internet is filled with ideas about different ways to start a compost pile.  It’s simple and inexpensive.  And remember, the result will be a pile of “black gold.”