Waterfront Shorelines
The Ribbon of Life
Our lake shorelines are amazing places and we can only see a tiny portion of what goes on along the water’s edge. While lounging on the dock, swimming with the kids or getting ready for a boat tour of the lake, where land and water meet there exists a unique, fragile and highly productive ecosystem apart from us.
The land located along shorelines is known as a riparian zone or the “Ribbon of Life”, providing rich habitat for fish, animals and plants. It is in these transition zones, the wildlife corridors in the waterway, that many forms of life have their nurseries or feeding spots.
- Fish spawn
- Aquatic insects mate
- Ducks and other water birds build nests
- Turtles climb onto shore to lay eggs
- Aquatic plants feed the fish, animals and birds
- Plants provide shelter and locations to reproduce
The shoreline ecosystem also filters out sediment, and traps pollutants.
It absorbs excess nutrients from human and natural sources, maintains base stream flows, limits flooding, and recharges groundwater by absorbing water.
It can stabilize and protect banks from erosion when vegetation with dense root masses exists there. This vegetation also cools and shades the water for the life that makes this area home.
The bottom line: healthy shorelines are essential for all who share our lakes and rivers. Let’s do our part to understand, protect, restore and enhance the Ribbon of Life on our properties. It’s something to think about.
