Shorelands
Through implementing the action items in the Gilbert Lake Management Plan, we intend that lake property owners will use best management practices on their properties and that the shorelands of the lake will become increasingly healthy over time. Here are a number of resources related to healthy shorelands:
- New! Importance of shoreland buffers
- Shoreland zoning regulations
- Rip rap placement, replacement, and repair guidelines – new regulations related to rip rap (a border of stones placed at the shoreline to prevent erosion)
- Healthy Lakes Best Practices – information on five simple and inexpensive best management practices that improve habitat and water quality on your lakeshore property: native plantings, rain gardens, fish sticks, diversion, and rock infiltration. Gilbert Lake received a Healthy Lakes Grant in 2017, and we intend to submit another grant proposal in 2020. See this link for a blog post and pictures.
- Shoreline Regulations and Critical Habitat Areas – information about who regulates areas above and below the ordinary high water mark, and what lake property owners can do in these areas
- Gilbert Lake Shoreline Vegetation Scores – a very rough comparative measure of the health of the shoreline for each property on the lake, as scored by a Waushara County survey, based on natural and physical characteristics
- The Water’s Edge – Helping fish and wildlife on your waterfront property
- Impervious Surfaces – How they impact fish, wildlife, and property values
- Protecting Your Waterfront Investment – 10 Simple Shoreland Stewardship Practices
- Water Plants – A Case for Preserving Wisconsin’s Aquatic Plants
- North Central Conservancy Trust – land conservation program in Central Wisconsin