Shoreline Stabilization

Soil erosion

Volunteers planting willows

Test planting site

Shoreline Stabilization Trials

Brief Description:

This past summer, Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists volunteers worked alongside Duke Energy in a test plan to reintroduce water willows, black willows, and maidencane to the island shorelines to slow erosion and provide cover for fish.

If current trials are successful, it may be feasible to provide shallow water cover for fish species and a way to slow the rate of shoreline erosion. Both species of willow and the maidencane are native to other lakes along the Catawba River. Water willows grow in water to a maximum depth of 2 ½ to 3 feet. Black willows and maidencane are found along moist bank areas and can be found in back bays of Lake Norman. Much less common in main lake areas, they are fast growing and develop a dense root system capable of slowing the rate of bank erosion.

Initial limited trials, conducted at Duke Energy’s McGuire Nuclear Station research facility, showed encouraging results. Working with volunteers from the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists Chapter of NCWF and volunteers from the Island Habitat Program, Duke Energy’s Environmental Division recently transplanted over a thousand water willows and hundreds of black willows and maidencane at several test locations on Lake Norman. Signs identify these trial areas. Boaters are requested to leave the plants and their protective cylinders and wire mesh enclosures undisturbed. The trials are critical to future possible introductions of these beneficial plants to Lake Norman’s island shorelines.

Click HERE for latest update on the Shoreline Plantings as of August, 2009.

This program is a collaborative effort by NC Wildlife Federation, Duke Energy and LNWC and is part of the aquatic habitat enhancement project as part of the Island Habitat Program. Support came in part from the Catawba Habitat Enhancement Program (HEP) fund.

For more information contact:

LNWC at info@lakenormanwildlife.org, or call the NCWF at (704) 332-5696.