The Watershed Foundation and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are offering an informational session June 13 in Winona Lake on the topic of healthy shorelines. Photos provided by The Watershed Foundation.

News Release

WINONA LAKE — Do you want to learn about healthier shoreline options like glacial stones and native plants? Are you wondering if you would need a permit or not to make changes to your shoreline?

The Watershed Foundation and Indiana Department of Natural Resources are offering an informational session about healthy shorelines from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, June 13, at the Winona Lake Senior Center. An optional tour of the healthy shorelines project at Winona Lake Limitless Park will follow. The event is free and open to the public.

Healthy Shorelines

The accepted norm on many of lakes is to have a mowed lawn up to the edge of a concrete seawall. But concrete seawalls are not considered natural or healthy for lakes, according to a news release from The Watershed Foundation, and in fact can disrupt the ribbon of life on lake shorelines, create added wave action and stir up the bottom sediments. Sedimentation is the suspension of nutrients and material in lakes, which is one of the main reasons for algae growth, green muck and fish scarcity in lakes.

Healthy shorelines (and adjacent lawns) have an abundance of plants both on the land and in the water. Glacial stone (or rock) seawalls are an improvement over concrete because they help slow wave action. Natural shorelines can also be beautiful and easy to maintain without interfering with recreation.

Examples of projects under the The Watershed Foundation Healthy Shorelines Initiative include stone refacing of concrete seawalls, bioengineered seawalls and glacial stone seawalls.

Grants Available

Healthy Shorelines Initiative grants will be available this year to residents of Center, Chapman, Pike and Winona lakes

The Healthy Shorelines Initiative provides grant assistance of up to $1,000 to homeowners for shoreline projects that improve water quality and shoreline habitat, while reducing erosion and decreasing runoff.

In order to be eligible, the project site must be located on Center, Chapman, Pike or Winona lake, and the applicant must pay at least 25% of the total cost of the project. Applications are available on the The Watershed Foundation website, and the application deadline is Thursday, Aug. 1.

For more information, contact The Watershed Foundation at [email protected] or (574) 834-3242. For more information about Healthy Shorelines and how The Watershed Foundation takes action for healthy lakes, visit WatershedFoundation.org and click “Take Action.”

Grants are available this year to help homeowners on Center, Chapman, Pike or Winona lakes improve their shorelines.