Lake Superior Project – The Transitional Importance of Riparian Zones
In this edition of WTIP’s “Lake Superior Project,” Cook County Soil and Water Director Ilena Hansel breaks down the critically important role that riparian zones play in protecting lakes, rivers and streams. Transition zones between the land and the water, a healthy riparian zone works as a buffer for flooding, helps filter out pollutants, plus provides habitat for wildlife and plant life.
Ilena also covers some of the ways that landowners can help protect the riparian zones on their property; such as not mowing your lawn to the water’s edge, avoiding fertilizer or chemical treatments close to the transition zone and protecting tree habitat near the shoreline to help with erosion, water runoff and filtering out human-caused pollution. According to Hansel, “no water body is off the hook.”
This feature is produced by Martha Marnocha for WTIP North Shore Community Radio.
Lake Superior Project is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
