Shoreline Program
Are you losing more and more of your lawn to the lake or stream each year? Are you concerned about the rain runoff from your house and driveway making the lake dirty and unswimmable? Are you interested in increasing habitat and wildlife on your property to enjoy while sipping your coffee on the deck? If you answered yes to any or all of these, our shoreline program might be perfect for you!
Planting native grasses and flowers along the shoreline or installing a rain garden reduces the amount of pollutants running into your lake and increases food and shelter for wildlife such as birds and butterflies, all while providing you an endless summer of bright, beautiful flowers.
The EOT SWCD is here to help you assess the resource concerns on your property, come up with a planting design, and maybe even cover up to 75% of the cost of installation, all at no charge to you. Check out more of the resources below to learn more!
Lakescaping Benefits:
- Increases privacy
- Reduces lawn maintenance
- Improves water quality for fishing and swimming
- Provides better erosion control than common alternative methods such as rip rap, concrete, or retaining walls
- Provides habitat for wildlife, especially pollinators
Otter Tail County Shoreland Guide
The Otter Tail County Shoreland Guide to Lake Stewardship is a collaborative project of the Otter Tail County Coalition of Lake Associations (COLA), East and West Otter Tail SWCDs and Otter Tail County Land & Resource Management.
This guidebook will provide you with the basic information on good lake stewardship; however, it should not be considered complete or current. Many of the matters discussed are subject to detailed ordinances, rules, regulations, and statutory provisions to which you should refer for details and are subject to periodic changes that may not be reflected in this guidebook. Neither the Otter Tail County COLA or any of the other contributors assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.
Lakeshore Landscaping Manual
This manual is intended to help you design and install native wildflower plantings to protect and improve water quality in your lake, stream, and/or neighborhood.
Deep-rooted native vegetation absorbs and purifies both surface runoff and shallow groundwater, reducing the amount of runoff and pollutants reaching the lake or stream.
Native Plant Guide
Find tips to identify common shoreline and rain garden grasses and flowers, as well as some common weeds.
