TWF and WLPA Launch Healthy Shorelines Initiative

The Watershed Foundation in collaboration with Winona Lake Preservation Association is excited to announce the third year of an initiative that will help protect and improve water quality in Winona Lake!

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.

What are healthy shorelines?

The accepted norm on many of our lakes is to have a mowed lawn up to the edge of a concrete seawall.  Concrete seawalls are not natural or healthy for our lakes. In fact, they disrupt the critical 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 our lakes, which is one of the main reasons for algae growth, green muck and fish scarcity in our 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 incredibly beautiful and easy to maintain without interfering with recreation. 

Examples of potential projects under the TWF Healthy Shorelines Initiative:

  stone re-facing of concrete seawalls (pictured)

  bioengineered seawalls

  glacial stone seawalls

An informational workshop will be held Thursday, June 17th from 6-7:30pm at the Winona Lake Senior Center. Workshop participants will receive top priority in grant funding.

In order to be eligible, the project site must be located on Winona Lake, and the applicant must pay at least 25% of the total cost of the project. Payments will be made as a reimbursement. Applications will be available on the TWF website.

For more information and to register for the workshop contact Lyn Crighton at The Watershed Foundation at lyn@watershedfoundation.org or 574-834-3242. For more information about Healthy Shorelines and how TWF takes action for healthy lakes visit www.WatershedFoundation.org and click “Take Action.”