01
Fresh Look at Shoreland Restoration
A green lawn running down to the water edge allows 18 times more sediment and seven times more phosphorus to run into the water than a natural shore allows. A natural shore also hosts a multitude of wildlife, much of it tiny, all of it important to the health of the environment. The authors suggest ways for owners of lake property to create a natural shore buffer of native vegetation between land and water, a buffer which will display a seasonal array of colors, textures, aromas, and wildlife activity (4 pages; 2014)
02
Protecting Your Waterfront Investment: 10 Shoreland Stewardship Practices
Healthy watersheds make healthy lakes and higher property values. Created for people who live on a waterfront lot or plan to buy one, this publication describes a menu of opportunities to protect your property investment (16 pages; 2021). Author(s) Lynn Markham, Kate Demorest.
03
Protect Our Lakes & Streams: Help Stop Polluted Water Runoff
This fact sheet looks at taking simple steps to clean up our lakes and streams, serious problems caused by sediments and nutrients, and offers suggestions on what can be done to help improve water quality in regards to polluted runoff (4 pages; 2013). Author(s) John Exo, Kris Tiles, Andy Yencha.
04
Protecting Our Living Shores
The authors sketch the intricate interconnection between plants, animals, and water along Wisconsin shores. They discuss the grasses, flowers, and trees that can be planted to restore a shore to its native state, and they suggest ways to minimize the crushing effects of man on a multitude of nature creatures, including salamanders, muskrats, mayflies, frogs, turtles, bass, and bats (6 pages; 2014).
05
What is Silviculture?
Silviculture is the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society such as wildlife habitat, timber, water resources, restoration, and recreation on a sustainable basis.
06
‘Exploding Trees’ Face Long-term Impacts
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff
This past winter, “exploding trees” went viral on social media. Many news outlets followed up with a more realistic explanation of the dramatically named phenomenon, pointing out that while the bitter cold can cause sudden cracks to form on trees, the trees don’t truly explode.
But what happens to those damaged trees as we warm up and move into the growing season?
Trees don’t heal wounds the same way that people heal wounds. Instead of repairing the damaged cells, trees compartmentalize the damaged area, serving to limit the ability of bacteria and fungi to invade. Trees then begin growing callus tissue over or around the wounded area.
Forestry Link
07
Characterizing powerboat hydrodynamics and their impacts on the water column and lakebed by St. Anthony Falls Laboratory
Phase II Overview
The objectives of the study were to:
- clarify and define the various hydrodynamic phenomena that are created by a recreational powerboat in motion, and how these phenomena vary with water depth and mode of operation,
- investigate the depth of penetration and duration of emission gases (e.g., engine exhaust bubbles),
- investigate the water column velocities and depth of penetration of the bow, stern, and transverse waves and their potential to resuspend lakebed sediment,
- Investigate the propeller wash velocity and depth of penetration, and the potential to resuspend lakebed sediment,
- investigate the effects of repeated boat passage on thermal stratification and mixing in the water column,
- capture underwater and aerial video of the hydrodynamic phenomena and any subsequent impacts (e.g., sediment resuspension).
Published in July 2025. Links to the report and data (including videos) are below.
Click here to read the Phase I Research Report.
Click here to read the Phase II Research Report.
Phase 2 Videos:
The Phase 2 research report involved collecting underwater and aerial drone footage. These data allow us to see the hydrodynamic phenomena created by the various powerboats that were tested in this study, and their impacts on the water column and lakebed.
The videos are now available on the SAFL Youtube Channel
08
Protecting Our Living Shores
The authors sketch the intricate interconnection between plants, animals, and water along Wisconsin shores. They discuss the grasses, flowers, and trees that can be planted to restore a shore to its native state, and they suggest ways to minimize the crushing effects of man on a multitude of nature creatures, including salamanders, muskrats, mayflies, frogs, turtles, bass, and bats (6 pages; 2014).