The Salt Ash Mountain Camp is located on the east shore of Lake Ninevah in Mount Holly Vermont. In Spring 2023, the shoreline of the camp was awarded a Lake Wise Award for the ways in which it is managed and protected. Having a healthy vegetated shoreline improves water quality which benefits humans along with the wildlife and plants that call the lake their home.
The Lake Wise Program is a unique program we have in Vermont for property owners who manage their lake shore with the greater health of the lake and water quality in mind. Types of properties that are eligible include town beaches, state parks, private businesses, and private homes. The goal of the program is to change management practices and the attitude toward lake shore development to encourage landowners to prevent runoff, erosion, and vegetate the shoreline using native plants.
The Lake Wise program uses a set of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to assess shoreline and provides excellent fact sheets and resources for implementing these BMPs. These are broken down into three categories including living shore land, low impact lake access, and upland stormwater management.
Ways to create a living shore land include:
- Bio engineering with fascines and fiber coir rolls
- Creating lake shore buffers
- Regrading beaches and removing failing retaining walls
- Encouraging lake friendly yard management by eliminating pesticide/herbicide use or pet waste runoff
Low impact lake access improvements include:
- Creating rock aprons near roadways
- Steps along pathways that filter water
- Creating pathways that reduce erosion
- Implementing effective water bars
Upland stormwater management practices include:
- Rain garden installation
- Creating check dams
- Installing dry wells and vegetated swales.
Taking part in the likewise program encourages others to think about their impacts on lake health and may motivate them to have their property assessed. Interested in learning more about the program? Would you like to have your lake shore assessed? Would you like to become a lake wise assessor? Check out the Lake Wise Program website nested in the Vermont DEC Lakes and Ponds website to learn more and get involved.