Native plants for Great Lakes shorelines: Free guide from New York Sea Grant

Says pick the right plant for the right place, right purpose

New York Sea Grant has published "Working with Nature: A Guide to Native Plants for New York's Great Lakes Shorelines." Public and private property owners can use the guide to select the right plant for the right place to revitalize the state's Great Lakes' freshwater shorelines.

The guide, freely accessible at http://www.nyseagrant.org/shorelineplants, offers nature-based alternatives or improvements to traditional "gray" structures such as concrete seawalls, steel sheet piles, and rock rip-rap.

New York Sea Grant Coastal Hazards and Processes Specialist Roy Widrig authored the 24-page guide that includes a list of 41 species of trees, shrubs, grasses, ground covers, vines and perennials with the preferred shoreline setting for each. Detailed photos and ideal growing conditions accompany each plant on the list.

"Reestablishing natural, stable shoreline slopes and transition zones from lake to upland areas rehabilitates habitat for native birds, fish, mammals and insects while beautifying the waterfront, and it can aid in controlling shoreline erosion, and improve drainage and water quality," Widrig said.

The New York State Environmental Protection Fund, under the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act, provided funding for this native plants publication. Funding through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will assist with publication distribution. Print copies will be available by calling New York Sea Grant's Oswego office at 315-312-3042.

Additional Resources for NY Waterfront Property Owners

Waterfront property owners in need of erosion management expertise can request Widrig's assistance via http://www.nyseagrant.org/glcoastalvirtualsitevisit. This web-based resource allows property owners to locate their property on a New York state map, describe erosion and flooding issues, and add photos of impacted areas for evaluation by Widrig.

Widrig is also the author of the Erosion Management for New York's Great Lakes Shoreline Guide. See http://www.nyseagrant.org/glcoastal for more information.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, and one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant College Program. Since 1971, New York Sea Grant has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness and understanding of the state's marine and Great Lakes resources. Learn more at http://www.nyseagrant.org.