Softened Shorelines Protect Water Quality and Improve Habitat

January 8, 2025

By: Erin Parker, Interpretive Services Supervisor

Michigan’s many miles of shorelines may look simple as we walk along them, lounge on their sandy surfaces, fish from the reeds, and rest our boats upon them; but they’re actually more complicated than our first glance might indicate. Shorelines providing habitat, slow erosion, clean and filter the water, and support our recreational activities: they’re critical to the health of our aquatic ecosystems. Throughout southeast Michigan, inland and Great Lakes’ shorelines have been hardened by human-built structures and planted with non-indigenous lawn grasses. Even small projects that “soften” or naturalize shoreline areas can have big impacts on our waterways.

Natural shorelines

The interface between land and water would typically be vegetated and the plant communities shift as the water gets deeper. The root structures of these plants hold soil in place, buffer against wind and wave action, and filter any runoff from the landscape. In the water, these plants help keep the water temperatures cooler by providing shade and support a wide range of wildlife from larval fish and insects to wading and dabbling birds.

When the shoreline’s vegetation is removed or modified, it can lead to increased erosion and pollution and reductions in wildlife. Especially when taller indigenous plants are removed from the water’s edge and replaced with turf grass lawn, we can unwittingly provide perfect accommodations for less-welcome wildlife, such as Canada geese. The goal is not to replace all hardened or turf grass shorelines with native vegetation, because access to water sports and recreation are one of the best parts of the Metroparks, but even small areas of naturalized shoreline make positive changes.

Projects to increase, even in small areas, native plants can help increase habitat for wildlife and reduce the congregations of geese as they prefer clear sightlines from feeding areas to their watery-escape routes when predators appear. Taller plants can have a big impact on geese and other waterfowl numbers because they become less comfortable spending time where they can’t clearly see where predators might be hiding or where they might fly to escape if a predator does show up.

Shoreline stewardship

The Huron-Clinton Metroparks, in collaboration with the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership, will be hosting a two-day in-person workshop in March at Lake St Clair Metropark to help natural resource professionals and interested landowners become Michigan Certified Natural Shoreline Professionals (MCNSP) . The two days of classroom-based learning focuses on everything from learning about the processes that build and erode shorelines to understanding how laws and permits impact potential restoration projects. The class was so popular in 2024 that the in-person portion was moved to a larger facility, the Thomas Welsh Activity Center at Lake St Clair and the maximum number of participants expanded to 60.

In June, a field day will take place at Stony Creek Metropark where participants can see an installed natural shoreline from June of 2023 and then have the experience of building a new section adjacent to the first. This area, near the boat rental launching area at Eastwood Beach will be a working demonstration for workshop participants as well as park visitors. The extension of the natural shoreline from 2023 will increase the pollinator plants, reduce the sightlines for Canada geese and other congregating waterfowl, protect the shoreline from erosion due to wave action in the lake, and help filter the water – all important for visitor experiences as they swim, kayak, paddleboard, and fish.

Natural shoreline projects provide many benefits to human and wildlife in the parks, and are beautiful, too. Stop by this summer while you’re visiting the beach and notice how the shoreline is growing and changing through time.

For more information and to register for the March workshop: https://www.shorelinepartnership.org/events.html