by Samantha Cunningham, Ecological technician

Landscaping your property can be as simple or as complex as you need. Landscaping is a diverse science, meaning that there are many different directions you can research, so we are going to focus on the sub-discipline of landscape engineering. For us this entails assessing what the current state of the property is and seeing where we can improve. Today’s target? Managing runoff on shoreline properties. Through this blog we will walk through several different ways of implementing eco-friendly (and easy) landscape ideas to manage water runoff.

Buffer Zone

Native vegetation, especially shoreline vegetation, has many benefits! It stabilizes soils, provides habitat, filters water, and creates critical shoreline shade. Choosing native shrubs and trees to plant along the shoreline can improve the health of your watershed, while also improving personal happiness levels. Studies show that 3 meters deep is the minimum appropriate buffer zone for riparian environments to filter runoff. Whether you plant 3m or not, any shoreline buffer will be of benefit to the watershed!

Tips for best practice:

• Check out our free, Canada-wide Natural Edge Program for tips and tricks for choosing shoreline plants for your property.
• Start by creating a no-mow zone along the shoreline and leave woody debris in place.

Interesting Fact! Northwestern Ontario lakes showed 1-2 degree Celsius increase in the littoral zone when the shoreline was clear cut. 

 

Eavestroughs

Eavestroughs seem like an odd pick for ways to prevent runoff, as they are usually a nemesis of homeowners. All the cleaning and maintenance, and for what? The answer might surprise you! Eavestrough are key structures that keep water off the roof and away from the foundation of the house. By directing the water to one area of the property (like a rain barrel or rain garden), you can help prevent soil erosion around your structure.

Tips for best practice:

• Clean your eavestroughs frequently to ensure proper flow.

Alternative Lawns

Up to 40% of household water use in the Canadian summer goes toward outdoor lawn care. You can dramatically reduce this by changing up your lawn from regular grass seed to a native seed mix! There are many alternatives that will keep your lawn green, while reducing the environmental footprint. Choosing ground cover is a great no-mow way to keep your area green, even in a drought. If you’re not sold on the idea of switching over entirely, you can find a native grass seed mix for your region and mix it in with your existing grass seed! This provides a boost to your current lawn and will help reduce your watering needs in the long-term. Native grasses are also great for wildlife (including pollinators), have deeper root systems which absorb more water and hold soil, and do not require fertilizers and pesticides to maintain.

Tips for best practice:

• Determine your lawn needs (i.e., foot traffic, amount of sunlight received, water availability).
• Watch out for attractive plants like Mint which will spread quickly if not maintained.

Harvest Rainwater (Rain Barrels)

Depending on your local by-laws, rain barrels can be an inexpensive and simple way to capture water and limit runoff. Simply place a barrel (with a spout) under your downspout to collect the rain that would otherwise run over the lawn. Utilize this water for watering plants, or even washing windows or your car! This is an environmentally friendly way to limit surface runoff on your shoreline and help save water costs, prevent erosion, and backup water in case of drought. Check out the Ontario Horticulture Association’s piece on rain barrels which includes how to easily calculate water collection amounts, and how to make a rain barrel!

Tips for best practice:

• Place a lid/screen on the barrel to prevent debris from getting in.

Interesting Fact! A 2-year study in Wingham Ontario showed 1,000 homes using rain barrels could divert 4.5 million litres of rainwater runoff annually.

 

Rain Gardens

If your property has natural drainage channels where water tends to pool, why not turn that soggy soil into a thriving garden? Natural depressions in the slope of the land can be great areas to create a rain garden. Like shoreline buffer zones, rain gardens help prevent erosion, filter water, support wildlife (including pollinators), and can be as low maintenance as needed! Choosing the right native plants for your rain garden is where your creativity can shine. Check out our free, Canada-wide Native Plant Database to help narrow down the most suitable options for your property, as well as this Garden Creation Toolkit.

Tips for best practice:

• Make sure the garden is at least 3m from your home to ensure moisture does not sit around the foundation.
• Choose plants of varying heights to create microclimates in your garden.

Whatever methods you choose to manage runoff, make sure it works for the needs of you and your property! All these actionable items will help manage runoff and in turn help your watershed’s health. Water filtration, habitat creation, and erosion prevention are some of the environmental benefits of managing runoff, but preserving structural health is also a significant benefit. If you are working on making your shoreline property more sustainable, managing runoff is a simple and effective place to start.

 

This blog is part of a series generously funded under the the Government of Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program. This two-year project is led by Watersheds Canada, Quinte Conservation, Cataraqui Conservation, Dog & Cranberry Lakes Association, the Municipality of South Frontenac, the Municipality of Tweed, Friends of Stoco Lake, and local residents and focuses on restoring and sustainably naturalizing shorelines along Stoco Lake and Dog Lake in Ontario to improve freshwater quality.