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Where There's a Willow, There's a Way
Jim Brakken, Wisconsin Association of Lakes Director
It's official: Shoreline restoration has been added to the list of environmental buzzwords around most of Wisconsin's lakes. Recent water education efforts by the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership and others has helped folks understand the need for a natural shoreline. Most riparian owners now see the benefits of a natural buffer zone between the lake and their dwelling. Many have briefly set aside their fishing poles and canoe paddles to take up shovels and hoes. Amateur lakeside landscapers are now replacing their labor-intensive lawns with low maintenance areas of indigenous plants. Wisconsin’s shorelines are looking better and our lakes are much healthier because of this effort!
Although some plants, will take hold well and grow quickly, transplanted trees are not likely to show much progress for quite a while. If, like me, you are not a patient gardener, you may want to try the willow to fill in those treeless areas along your lakeshore. Willows are very easy to plant, fast growing, attractive trees. Some varieties can grow ten feet in one season. Not only do most willows root easily, but willow cuttings often keep most of their original growth. This makes it possible to have a low cost, easy to plant, pretty tree, almost overnight!
Start with a plan
After determining which plants go where, plant coniferous and deciduous trees according to your plan. Now locate a large, healthy native willow in need of pruning. Take branches 1/2 inch to 2 inches in diameter, 3 to 10 feet long back to the lake. Remove about ¾ of the branches and trim the cut end to expose fresh wood. Lay the willow sticks on the shore with the cut end in the water. Next, using an old ice spud or pointed bar, poke some holes in the ground near the shore. These holes should reach beyond the water line and be spaced at least two feet apart. Insert the willow sticks and firm the surrounding soil. The willows will root themselves over time. Although some will lose leaves and even appear to die, they should recover.
I first heard of this method from a dyed-in-the-wool duck hunter. He told me how, when used to make duck blinds in his favorite marsh, willows rooted and eventually formed islands. Since hearing of this method, I have succeeded in growing willows both near and away from the lake.
Here are a few willow planting tips:
- Plant your trees on shore, not in the lake, unless you have checked with your local warden.
- Trees in the variety known as weeping willow are messy and not indigenous to Wisconsin. Do not plant weeping willows. Native willows are best.
- If you plant them away from the lake, keep your willows well watered. Every other day for several months would be ideal.
- Rabbits and beaver might find your willows to be a tasty treat. Poultry fencing can be wrapped around the trunk for protection. Deer are fond of weeping willow shoots.
- When your other trees gain their stature, you may wish to remove your willows to give them the space they need.
This last tip might be very difficult. Some willow trees are simply far too beautiful to remove. They lean gracefully over the lake, sheltering an abundance of life below them. Your little willow stick might grow to be a magnificent, picturesque tree, providing habitat for birds, shoreline dwelling mammals, insects, amphibians and the fish that swim beneath its branches.
Include willow trees when you develop your own shoreline restoration plan. You’ll be pleased with the results!
Jim Brakken teaches, writes and works to protect lakes in northwestern Wisconsin.
Below: My wife, Sybil, showing off a willow planted two seasons earlier.
None of us would ever dream of polluting our lake with phosphates, right? Unfortunately, that is exactly what we’re doing when we run our boats at full throttle in water less than 12 feet deep!
STIRRING UP TROUBLE
Jim Brakken, WAL Director
We live near a shallow channel between two lakes. It’s common to see boaters zoom up to the channel, then, primarily to protect their prop, throttle way down as they proceed toward the next lake. Minutes later, they zoom out of the channel and the churned up water between our lakes begins to settle down once again . . . ‘til the next boat comes through. This is a common scene on our lake and many others across the north.
Thanks to shallow lake education efforts in recent years, however, many boaters are now becoming aware of the damage that can be done not just to our props, but to our lakes. Most of us now understand the need for slow-no-wake zones. Because we care about our lakes, most of us take it easy in the channels and shallow flats. That’s the good news!
Here’s the bad: The damage done by motorized boats goes well beyond the channels and shallows. Recent research shows that our props can easily disturb the water down to 15 feet. The wake behind and below our boat does far more damage than we see.
An interesting study was done on several small, shallow Florida lakes [Yousef, U of Central Florida]. Fishing boats with outboard motors were run around the lake for 2 hours to simulate summer traffic. The disturbed sediments clouded the water slightly, not unlike many of our northern lakes on a summer afternoon. Readings were taken for both turbidity and phosphorus after the mixing was stopped. The turbid water began to clear immediately and was back to its original state in 26 hours. The phosphorus, however, cleared more slowly and, after 50 hours, had not returned to normal level. Nutrients normally settled out had been brought back into play by the stirring action of the outboard. And it took over twice as long for the nutrients to settle out than it did for the water to clear.
Now we’ve all heard about the hazards of phosphorus. To protect our lakes, many of us make it a point to avoid high phosphate laundry detergents and similar products. None of us would ever dream of polluting our lake with phosphates, right? Unfortunately, that is exactly what we’re doing when we run our boats at full throttle in water less than 15 feet deep. Although we don’t see the damage, it’s there. We are feeding microscopic organisms that can store up to 10 times their weight in phosphorus. We are fostering the growth of algae, bacteria and unwanted aquatic plants.
The problem is greatly increased as the engine size increases. Although water skiing and similar aggressive boating are the worst culprits, all motors have the potential of increasing available phosphorus in the lake for 50 hours or more. The problem is also greatly increased as the number of boats is increased. It doesn’t take long for a bunch of boats to thoroughly churn up a lake, providing excessive, unneeded nutrition for unwanted plants and organisms.
What can we do? We can begin with our local lake management organizations. These citizen groups have the ability to educate members and visitors to the lake. Good lake management should include slow no wake rules in shallow waters. Lake organizations are in a position to encourage member boaters to travel at slow-no-wake over weed beds, within 100 feet of shore and in all shallow water. They can also distribute information encouraging aggressive boaters to limit jackrabbit starts and water skiing to deep water only.
Youngsters in our lake families should be guided toward non-aggressive water sports, when possible. Canoes, sculls, sailboats and kayaks pose no problem to our lakes or environment or health.
Many lakes have posted SNW zones to protect sensitive areas. If your organization wishes to investigate official slow-no-wake zones, contact your DNR Lake Specialist. (No markers may be placed in the lake without DNR approval.)
High speed boating and related aggressive water sports over weedbeds and other shallow waters can cause significant increases in aquatic nutrients. The resulting algae and undesirable vegetation can have far reaching effects which could greatly diminish the quality of our lakes. Individuals and our local lake management organizations can provide information, encourage responsible boating and contribute to the health and well being of our waters. Throttle back. It’s good for the lake!
Articles in these pages may be reproduced by non-profits. Others please inquire. Please include the following: "Visit JimBrakken.FreeWebSpace.com to see related articles and his photos." Thanks!
Maddie and Kelly at Wiley Lake
