Installation Tips and Maintenance
Here are several recommendations to help ensure that your project is installed properly and that it succeeds over the long term:
The importance of protecting
young plantings from wildlife in search of food (primarily geese, ducks, muskrat, and deer) can not be
overemphasized. While wildlife habitat enhancement is an important goal of bioengineered shoreline restoration
projects, until the new plantings become established, grazing and uprooting of tender plantings can seriously
undermine the project's structural integrity. If waterfowl predation is threatening the integrity of the
planting beds, waterfowl exclusion fencing can be installed around the perimeter of the planting beds(e.g.,
black plastic fencing, four-feet high with one-inch square openings and attached to steel T-posts driven into
the shoreline on five-foot centers.) Ideally, the fencing should be left in place for one or two years until
the plants are mature enough to withstand occasional defoliation by waterfowl. One particular plant used in
this project, Sagittaria latifolia (common arrowhead), has proven to be so susceptible to waterfowl
grazing that the Garden no longer recommends its use in shoreline projects where waterfowl are expected to be
present.
- Plant plugs installed below the normal water line can be secured to lakebed soils with one or two 6-inch sod staples. These staples protect the plants from being washed away by waves during high wind events, and the staples keep the plants from floating out of their planting hole in the event of unusually high water or flood conditions. The staples also provide exceptional protection from waterfowl grazing: while the waterfowl may be able to defoliate the plant's top growth, the staples prevent the waterfowl from destroying the plant's crown and/or completely plucking the plant plug right out of the lakebed. Since these staples are made out of metal, they will corrode and degrade over time. Nevertheless, because of their sharp points, their use in shorelines near public beaches and other access points should be carefully evaluated.
The removal of invasive plants
and weeds in the planting beds is an ongoing maintenance issue for all "bioengineered" shoreline
erosion techniques. This is especially true during the first two years after installation when spaces between
the new plantings allow plenty of sunlight to reach the soil surface and stimulate the growth of new weeds.
Like any perennial garden, as the new plants mature with time the emergence of weeds and other unwanted plants
is lessened. However, inherent to the shoreline zone is the ever-present drift of new weed seeds riding along
with incoming waves. In particular, plants such as Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) and
Alnus glutinosa (black alder) have been troublesome at the Garden. A commitment to diligent removal
of these invasive plants at a young stage of growth -- and in all cases before they set seed -- is
particularly important.
- Most of the project's planting beds utilized a plant plug spacing of 12 inches on center. While wider
spacing is frequently and successfully used in prairie restorations and other relatively flat environments,
the inherent instability of the shoreline slope demands that the new plantings become established and provide
their soil anchoring properties as soon as possible. While 12-inch spacing is highly recommended for shoreline
applications, a wider spacing (up to 15 inches) can be utilized if the new plants are in excellent condition
prior to planting, and sufficient maintenance resources are available to ensure that the plants can grow
quickly after installation.
- Hand-spreading seed of Eleocharis acicularis (needle spike rush) along the wet edge of completed shoreline planting beds can provide a "cover crop" of plant biomass that provides significant stability to the shoreline soils while the plant plugs take root. This quick-growing plant also provides an attractive carpet of green color between the plant plugs and brings a more "living" aesthetic to the shoreline, especially during the first few years. However, prolonged periods of high water can damage this plant, and so it may not perform well if excessive water fluctuations are experienced.
