If you are thinking about buying waterfront property in Wisconsin, this guide is meant f​or you. A little time invested in learning about waterfront living will pay back sizable dividends in matching your expectations to the realities. This guide provides: – Ideas to consider before you start your property search – Considerations to help you decide on the right lake or river – Factors to help you choose just the right property.

Healthy watersheds make healthy lakes and higher property values. Created for people who live on a waterfront lot or plan to buy one, this publication describes a menu of opportunities to protect your property investment.

This introduction to life at the water’s edge reveals the advantages of a natural, wildlife-friendly shore, and describes how you can restore, create, or maintain a natural shore without needing to give up your lawn and dock. In short, you can have your lawn, your dock, and wildlife too.

Remarkably, after a tree falls in the lake, it might last another 300 to 600 years in the water. Large submerged trees can host entire fish communities. Fish use submerged trees in a variety of ways. Many species spawn on, adjacent to or under trees that provide cover which help some species protect their incubating brood. Lake Property owners can increase fish habitat by leaving trees that fall in the water in place.

Learn how shoreland development density and impervious surfaces affect the quality of our lakes and streams.

How we manage our lawns affects the health of our children, pets, wildlife and water quality. This one page information sheet outlines three simple steps for creating a lawn that’s healthy for all.