"No Mow, Let It Grow"
The Buffalo Lake project illustrates another approach to natural shoreland management.
"No Mow, Let It Grow " - the simplest and least expensive way to restore your shoreline and add a natural buffer to your lakeshore.
This is one strategy under the broader "Prevent Disturbance" approach. It is a viable option for shoreland restoration if the site has a native seed bank or native plants nearby that can send out underground rhizomes or shoots.
In many locations, native plant seeds or sprouts are present but cannot germinate or grow because of continual mowing. Once mowing stops, these native species have a chance to re-establish on their own. There is no cost, minimal planning, and very little effort involved.
Biome: Deciduous Forest
Buffalo Lake is located in the deciduous forest biome. This biome is a transitional area between the prairie and the coniferous forest biomes that span the state in a narrow band from the southeast to northwest corners. A broad range of temperatures and precipitation in this biome make this a highly variable region. This is particularly true in Becker county where all three biomes occur. Trees such as sugar maples, basswood, oaks, ash and aspen dominate this region.