Lakes & Ponds

There are many reasons why your pond shoreline might erode over time, the most common culprit is the lack of native plantings with a dense root system. Lawn has a shallow, weak root system and it cannot survive in wet soils like our native wetland plants, while stone is a static system often displaced by freeze-thaw cycles and soil settling. Muskrat activity is another common source of erosion as they burrow into the shoreline slope from below the water and eat your aquatic plants.

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We can help you repair erosion on existing shorelines or help you avoid erosion issues on newly established shorelines. We’ll take care of any permitting and re-establish stable shoreline slopes with careful grading, install a custom mix of native wildflowers and grasses specifically designed for your shoreline, and implement a management plan to eliminate weeds and control wildlife impacts from muskrats, geese and beaver.

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Featured Case Study:

Chicago Botanic Garden

Streams & Ravines

Where there is moving water, the chances of erosion occurring is high. Small urban and suburban streams typically pose the greatest concern. Ravines are also at risk due to their significantly steep slopes and position in the watershed. Runoff to ravines and streams has become increasingly “flashy”, meaning after a rain event they take on an un-natural amount of water over a short period of time. The water runs through these systems at high speeds, causing scour and under-cutting of banks.

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Avoid erosional issues on constructed swales or repair current stream and ravine erosion, let us determine the root cause and develop a plan that solves the problem for good. Streams and ravines may require in-stream structures to slow or re-direct peak flows, such as check dams, riffle pools or weir dams. Stone may be required at the toe of cut banks to prevent under-cutting, while slopes are planted with a mix of wildflowers and grasses designed specifically for your project
 

Featured Case Study:

Pine Dunes Forest Preserve

Severe Erosion

Severe erosion occurs on steep slopes and within stream systems, caused by down cutting of the stream bed, cut banks and increased or flashy runoff. Severe erosion also occurs on pond shorelines, especially along the northern and eastern shorelines where prevailing winds produce wave action. Concentrated water flows from stormwater pipes wreak havoc on both stream and pond shorelines.

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The repair of severe erosion can be challenging due to limited property boundaries, regulatory restrictions or extreme hydrological conditions. In these cases, we employ proven engineered solutions to ensure that the erosion is repaired for good. This includes complex synthetic solutions such as gabion baskets, soil lifts, boulder walls, geo grid, soil bags, sheet piling, rip-rap revetment or benthic mesh. There are green solutions that may be applied on their own or in combination with synthetic applications, such as root wads, log revetment, or live stakes.
 

Featured Case Study:

Roxana Marsh