Upland
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Survey: Score My Shore - Wisconsin Score My Shore
Version 1
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Questions: 36
Score My Shore - Wisconsin Score My Shore
Question 1 of 36
Upland
Wisconsin’s Healthy Lakes & Rivers Action Plan divides a typical waterfront parcel into the following three management zones: 1) upland, 2) transition, and 3) in-water. Management activities in each of these property zones affect lake and river health. This survey is organized by zone, so as you work through the questions, you will be moving through the zones of your property towards and into the water.
Upland: the landward area beyond the transition zone (over 35 feet away from the Ordinary High Water Mark) but within the shoreland zone that often encompasses structures and driveways
Ordinary High Water Mark: the point on the bank or shore up to which the presence and action of the water is so continuous as to leave a distinct mark either by erosion, destruction of terrestrial vegetation or other easily recognized characteristic
Upland
1
What kind of wastewater management do you have? *
Learn More
There are many different types of septic systems used to treat wastewater. Learn more about different types of septic systems and how they work by visiting EPA's Types of Septic Systems website.
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Upland
2
You indicated you have a holding tank. Is your tank equipped with an alarm to notify you when pumping is needed? *
Learn More
Learn How to Care for Your Septic System: Review EPA's Septic System Guidance for more information.
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Upland
3
You indicated you have a private septic system. Do you have it pumped at least every 3 years? *
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Upland
4
Now we'll shift to pets and pet waste. Do you pick up or remove pet waste in your yard to prevent it from washing into the water? *
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Upland
5
How do you manage pests and vegetation on your property? *
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Upland
6
Do you have a lawn? *
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Upland
7
Do you ever apply fertilizer on your lawn? *
Learn More
Learn more about low risk pesticide and fertilizer lawn care options to protect water quality:
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Upland
8
Have you done a soil test to confirm if you need to apply fertilizer on your lawn? *
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Upland
9
Are you using only phosphorus free fertilizers? *
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Upland
10
Estimate the percentage area of your property that contains buildings, patios, driveways, parking areas, or other impervious surfaces. *
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Upland
11
Are there areas of bare soil on your property? *
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Upland
12
Are there deposits of sand or soil in flat areas? *
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Upland
13
When it is raining outside, does water cause leaves or pine needles to wash downhill, grass to lay flat, or small channels to form where the water flows? *
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Upland
14
Are you aware of where the runoff moves across your property during rain events? *
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Upland
15
Do you have gutters along the roof of your home? *
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Transition
You are now entering the transition zone.
Transition: also known as a shoreline buffer or vegetation protection zone, an area that is 35 feet landward from the Ordinary High Water Mark and bridges aquatic and terrestrial life.
Transition
16
Do you have any boats, docks, hoists, etc. stored over winter within 35 feet of the waters edge? *
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Transition
17
You indicated you store equipment in the transition zone within 35 feet of the water's edge over winter. Where within that zone do you store your boats, docks, hoists, etc. (over winter)? *
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Transition
18
Do you have a variety of native plants that includes all three layers of vegetation such as mature trees, shrubs/grasses, and wildflowers in your Transition Zone? *
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Transition
19
Good for you! Variety is important. What percentage of your Transition Zone has all three layers of vegetation (other than mowed lawn)? *
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Transition
20
Do you rake or remove fallen leaves, sticks, and other branches in your Transition Zone? *
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Transition
21
What percentage of your Transition Zone has maintained areas like lawn, beach, and patio? In other words, how much of the area is disturbed? *
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Transition
22
How do you control erosion on your shoreline? *
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Transition
23
Have you planted/allowed native plants to grow in rip rap? *
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In-Water
Ready to get your feet wet?
In-Water: an area that is often below the Ordinary High Water Mark – a regulatory distinction between public and private land - where aquatic plants and animals live.
In-Water
24
How much frontage do you use to moor boats, swim and access the lake or river? Include all access areas. *
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In-Water
25
Do you have any permanent structures, including piers, boat houses, docks or lifts that remain in the water year round? *
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In-Water
26
How do you manage fallen trees and branches in the water along your frontage? *
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In-Water
27
Do you uproot, cut or otherwise remove aquatic plants in the water? *
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In-Water
28
Do you remove underwater plants? *
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In-Water
29
Do you remove rooted floating leaf plants like water lilies and lily pads? *
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In-Water
30
You indicated you remove plants in the water. What is the size of the clearing? *
Learn More
Hand clearing an area of aquatic plants over 30 feet in width along the shoreline and any mechanized or chemical aquatic plant control requires a permit from the WI DNR. For more information on Aquatic Plant Management and when a permit is required, visit the DNR's Aquatic Plants website.
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In-Water
31
Do you throw leaves, lawn clippings, or fire ashes into the lake? *
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Best Practices
A best practice is a proven method to produce desired results. In the case of Healthy Lakes & Rivers, our team surveyed citizen, business, and agency partners to identify the top 5 best practices to improve habitat and water quality for typical shoreland properties.
We encourage do-it-yourselfers to use these practices but have also created a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Healthy Lakes & Rivers grant program for funding assistance. A requirement of grant-funded projects is a signed contract stating the shoreland property owner will maintain the project for at least 10 years.
Please share the best practices that may already exist on your property.
Best Practices
32
Do you have fish sticks? *
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Best Practices
33
Do you have native plantings, also referred to as a shoreline restoration? *
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Best Practices
34
Do you have a diversion project? *
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Best Practices
35
Do you have a rock infiltration project? *
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Best Practices
36
Do you have a rain garden? *
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🎉 Survey Complete!
Thank you for completing the Score My Shore Survey
Wisconsin Score My Shore
👁️ Preview Mode: This is a simulated results screen. The score and level shown below are examples from the survey configuration.
YOUR SCORE
349
Restoration
You've got some work to do! Your score indicates restoration is the best management strategy for your property. There are runoff and habitat loss challenges but also opportunities to restore your property and help your lake or river. The priority for restoration properties is to protect remaining natural land cover and vegetation before any additional habitat loss or runoff pollution occurs. Au naturel steps like reducing mowing and leaving fallen trees in the water are still relevant, and Healthy Lakes & Rivers best practices may be suitable. Restoration properties may also benefit from professional advice - whether an engineer or local county land conservation specialist - to identify other restoration opportunities. Continue Here to see best practices.
📊 All Scoring Levels (4)
▼
👁️ Preview Only: Users see only the level matching their score. All 4 levels are shown here for review.
Entry
-1300 – 199 pts
Your score is entry level, indicating there are substantial runoff and habitat loss challenges but also many opportunities to improve your property and help your lake or river. Sometimes the property location and shape may limit some options, but there are usually actions people can still take. Au naturel steps like reducing mowing and leaving fallen trees in the water are still relevant, and Healthy Lakes & Rivers best practices may be suitable. Entry level properties will likely benefit from professional advice - whether a shoreland management consultant, engineer or local county land conservation specialist. Continue Here to see best practices.
Restoration
200 – 499 pts
You've got some work to do! Your score indicates restoration is the best management strategy for your property. There are runoff and habitat loss challenges but also opportunities to restore your property and help your lake or river. The priority for restoration properties is to protect remaining natural land cover and vegetation before any additional habitat loss or runoff pollution occurs. Au naturel steps like reducing mowing and leaving fallen trees in the water are still relevant, and Healthy Lakes & Rivers best practices may be suitable. Restoration properties may also benefit from professional advice - whether an engineer or local county land conservation specialist - to identify other restoration opportunities. Continue Here to see best practices.
Enhancement
500 – 749 pts
Almost there! Your score indicates enhancement is the best management strategy for your property. The property is mostly natural and without major runoff or habitat loss challenges. Still, there are some opportunities to enhance your property and help your lake or river. The priority for these properties is to protect remaining natural land cover while implementing best practices, if necessary. Continue or initiate au naturel steps like reducing mowing and leaving fallen trees in the water, and Healthy Lakes & Rivers best practices may be suitable. Continue Here to see best practices.
Protection
750 – 1350 pts
Great job! Your score indicates protection is the best management strategy for your property. You are caring for your property in ways that protect your lake or river. Natural land cover, native vegetation, little disturbance, and beautiful screened views from the lake are probably the norm for you. The priority for these properties is to protect remaining natural land cover and native vegetation while implementing Healthy Lakes & Rivers best practices, if necessary. These best practices are likely to prevent runoff pollution and habitat loss in the future. Continue Here to see best practices.
💡 Recommended Learning
Based on your answers, here are some helpful tips and resources to protect and restore the health of our lakes and rivers through habitat restoration and runoff and erosion control projects on your waterfront property.
👁️ Preview Note: In the actual survey, only InfoItems relevant to the user's answers are shown.
Below are all 7 InfoItems configured for this survey.
📚 Best Practices for Everyone ▼
Want to learn more about Healthy Lakes & Rivers? Visit the website by clicking on the button below to learn more. Healthy Lakes & Rivers provides 5 simple and inexpensive best practices that improve habitat and water quality on your shoreland property: fish sticks, native plantings, diversions, rock infiltrations, and rain gardens.
There are many simple and free ways to make a difference on your property (leave fallen trees in the water, minimize fertilizer, etc.).Click the button below.
Check out Protecting Your Waterfront Investment to review 10 simple shoreland stewardship practices.
Evaluating Runoff on Your Property
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You indicated that the runoff moves towards the waterbody or you're not sure where the runoff on your property goes. Runoff is rain and snow melt that doesn’t soak into the ground and instead moves across the land surface and eventually into lakes, streams, and wetlands where it can cause pollution. Have no fear, the following tools can help you determine what is happening with runoff on your property and what you can do about it:
Gutters
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Gutters are great for our water resources, provided they are used correctly!
Check out these gutter do's and don'ts:
DO
o Ensure gutter downspouts are discharged at least 10 feet away from your home, especially if you have a basement.
o Direct the gutter downspout away from the waterbody and slopes to waterbodies. Even better if you can direct the gutter into a rain barrel, rain garden, rock infiltration area, or well vegetated area where water can naturally soak into the ground.
o Do inspect and clean gutters each season. Keep downspouts free of debris.
DON'T
o Direct gutter downspouts directly towards a waterbody or slope that leads to the waterbody.
o Don't let water leaving gutters erode your yard and carry bare soil with it.
Managing Runoff
▼
Your responses indicate there may be opportunities to manage runoff on your property. Runoff is rain and snowmelt that doesn't soak into the ground and instead moves across the land surface and eventually into lakes, streams, and wetlands where it can cause pollution.
Learn how impervious surfaces can affect runoff.
Consider installing a diversion, rock infiltration, and/or rain garden best practice(s) to reduce runoff on your property.
Native Plants
▼
You indicated there is an opportunity to improve the native plant community on your property. The simplest way to encourage native plants to grow is to refrain from mowing.
Native Plantings include grasses and wildflowers with shrubs and trees. Consider installing a 350 square foot native shoreland planting best practice to improve wildlife habitat, natural beauty, and privacy, and decrease runoff. Choose a template based on your property and interests – from bird/butterfly habitat to a finding shade loving native plants.
📚 When is an Aquatic Plant Management permit required? ▼
Since you answered that you clear aquatic plants from your frontage, it is important to remember that hand clearing an area of aquatic plants over 30 feet in width along the shoreline and any mechanized or chemical aquatic plant control without a permit is illegal in Wisconsin (NR 109, Wis. Adm. Code).
You can learn more about Aquatic Plants on the WI DNR Website. Review the DNR Aquatic Plant Management Checklist to see when a permit is needed.
Another great resource is the Extension Lakes guide for Aquatic Plant Management in Wisconsin. Chapter 1 of the guide focuses on helping you to decide if you need to manage aquatic plants and helps walk through the laws and permits that may be required.
Removing Fallen Trees or Branches in the Water
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You indicated that you pick up the fallen trees or branches that are in the water near your property. By leaving the branches and trees in the water, you can provide habitat for fish or other aquatic organisms. It is best to leave them in place unless the branches and trees are preventing navigation or access to the water.
Check out: A Second Life for Trees in Lakes: As Useful in Water as They Were on Land
Consider installing a fish sticks best practice to improve fish and wildlife habitat along your property.
🗺️ Zone Assessment Summary
▼
Upland
Wisconsin’s Healthy Lakes & Rivers Action Plan divides a typical waterfront parcel into the following three management zones: 1) upland, 2) transition, and 3) in-water. Management activities in each of these property zones affect lake and river health. This survey is organized by zone, so as you work through the questions, you will be moving through the zones of your property towards and into the water.
Upland: the landward area beyond the transition zone (over 35 feet away from the Ordinary High Water Mark) but within the shoreland zone that often encompasses structures and driveways
Ordinary High Water Mark: the point on the bank or shore up to which the presence and action of the water is so continuous as to leave a distinct mark either by erosion, destruction of terrestrial vegetation or other easily recognized characteristic
Transition
You are now entering the transition zone.
Transition: also known as a shoreline buffer or vegetation protection zone, an area that is 35 feet landward from the Ordinary High Water Mark and bridges aquatic and terrestrial life.
In-Water
Ready to get your feet wet?
In-Water: an area that is often below the Ordinary High Water Mark – a regulatory distinction between public and private land - where aquatic plants and animals live.
Best Practices
A best practice is a proven method to produce desired results. In the case of Healthy Lakes & Rivers, our team surveyed citizen, business, and agency partners to identify the top 5 best practices to improve habitat and water quality for typical shoreland properties.
We encourage do-it-yourselfers to use these practices but have also created a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Healthy Lakes & Rivers grant program for funding assistance. A requirement of grant-funded projects is a signed contract stating the shoreland property owner will maintain the project for at least 10 years.
Please share the best practices that may already exist on your property.