Bioengineering is defined by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as “using a combination of native planting and natural, or biodegradable materials to provide shoreline protection.” It also is often referred to as softshore engineering or lakescaping. Many shorelines use seawalls. These are a hard surface, such as wood, metal or concrete, that is installed
Keeping your shoreline healthy is vital to the overall health of the lake. One of the biggest factors in the health of the shoreline is the plants that live on the land along the shoreline, as well as the submerged plants that live near the shoreline. Plants on the shoreline or submerged in the water
Probably the single most helpful thing we can all do to help keep surface waters clean is the addition of a native vegetative buffer along the lakeshore. Buffers help filter out and trap pollutants like fertilizers, herbicides and pet waste before they reach the water. In addition, the deep roots from native buffer plants help