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STOP WASH - Page 8 Projects at Home Encourage natural vegetation shoreline growth. HOW? Leave the natural vegetation along the shore - both in the water and on the land. Let Nature do the dirty work. Plant natural vegetation next to the shoreline. Good plants include Red Osier Dogwood, Sweetgale, Virginia Creeper and Shrubby Willow. Do not cut the grass right to the water's edge. Allow a buffer zone of approximately 3-5 metres. Encourage your friends and neighbours to support shoreline "softening". Encourage cottagers to post "Watch Your Wake" signs. WHY? Grass and small shrubs will: Slow surface erosion and begin to absorb harmful surface nutrients before they get into the body of water. Strengthen the shoreline and help prevent erosion from Wash and Wake. Preserve water quality and health of the environment. Supply important shading in the shallow areas and help moderate the temperature of the water. This is very important for sheltering fish and providing spawning areas. For more information on shoreline "softening", contact MAPLE. MAPLE is an non-profit environmental organization. MAPLE's main goal is to improve lake front environments and maintain the natural lake environment. View contact information. Build a Floating Loon Nest Loons have very short legs, making it difficult to walk very far. Therefore, they must nest close to water. Since the nests are so close to the shore, they are often easily destroyed by Wake and Wash. The loon generally lays one or two eggs each year. With numbers this low, it is very important that they survive. You can help loons survive by practising boat safety and common sense. You can also help increase the survival rate of these birds by building floating loon nests. Why are we so concerned about loons? Loons are a good indicator of a healthy environment. If there are a large number of loons in an area, it means that the water is clean and that there is an abundance of fish. Instructions on how to build a floating loon nest can be found by going to the How to Build a Loon's Nest page. next page Friends of the Rideau 1 Jasper Avenue Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada, K7A 4B5 Tel : 613 - 283 - 5810. email: info@rideaufriends.com General: Home | About Us | Membership | Newsletters | Our Awards | The Depot Rideau: What's A Rideau | Rideau Corridor | Map | Communities | History | World Heritage | Fishing | Photo Gallery Information: Tourist Info | Brochures/Guides | Paddling Guides | How A Lock Works | Stop Wash | Loon Aware Links: Info Links | Web Links ©1997- Rideau Waterway Co-ordinating Association (Friends of the Rideau) Comments about the website email: webmaster@rideaufriends.com Website design & maintenance donated by: Ken W. Watson