Mille Lacs Shoreline Restoration: Stop Erosion & Start Enjoying the Lake
Mille Lacs Lake – which we know simply as “Mille Lacs” – is Minnesota’s second-largest inland lake and maybe the best fishing hole ever. Anyone who likes fishing will find plenty of reasons to visit Mille Lacs, with walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, tullibee, and other species. There’s ample room for kayaking, paddleboarding, boating. In the winter, Mille Lacs freezes over, and attracts ice fishers and snowmobilers. The crisp blue water alone is 200 square miles, and the lakeside property around Mille Lacs makes the area even grander.
People have long cherished Mille Lacs. It holds historical significance for the Ojibwe people, who have lived in the area for centuries. It was named by French explorers in the 17th century, with Mille Lacs translating to “Thousand Lakes,” part of the nickname for Minnesota, known to non-Minnesotans everywhere.
You love your piece of Mille Lacs, but it’s eroding and looking run-down. Since 1996, Lakeshore Guys® has helped Midwesterners enjoy the lake lifestyle safely and fully. We can stop the erosion and build whatever you need to start enjoying Mille Lacs again. Whether you live in Wealthwood, Onamia, Wakhon, City of Isle, Malmo, City of Garrison, and Cove, or the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, we can help. You can contact us to tell us about your situation and to book an on-site consultation, or read on to find out more.
Downsides of Living on Mille Lacs
Heavy rainfall and snowmelt can cause high water levels, leading to flooding of shorelines, boat ramps, docks, and sometimes even homes. That causes erosion, which only gets worse over time.
Windblown ice in the spring also chews up shorelines on Mille Lacs. The erosion it causes is more sudden than erosion caused by heavy rain or high water, because the ice crashes into the land. Even if you’ve never had a problem with erosion, one spring with windblown ice can change that in a matter of weeks.
Erosion not only leads to the loss of land, but also can strain your finances. As a property owner, you continue to pay property taxes on land that has eroded away, and it’s illegal to add land back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever, while you pay Uncle Sam taxes for the privilege of owning phantom real estate.
In practice, there’s no such thing as “erosion repair” or “erosion remediation”: all you can do is prevent or lessen the erosion. Only a properly installed riprap shoreline can halt the erosion. Riprap consists of large stones strategically placed along the shore, on top of a special layer of geotextile filter fabric. Riprap not only protects your land, but also makes your property easier on the eyes, while still blending in with your surroundings.
Your local landscaper is unable to build a riprapped shoreline that’s sturdy enough to stand the test of time, let alone to halt erosion on your part of Mille Lacs. Sure, technically they can build one, and they’ll say it’s easy, and it might even look nice – for a season or two. Then it will crumble like old Play-Doh and you’ll need to get it rebuilt. Our shorelines stay put.
Another challenge: muskrats. Muskrats can swim into your shoreline, burrow under your land, and leave behind sinkholes that eventually collapse or erode. We have a way to keep muskrats and similar mischief makers away, so as to preserve the safety and beauty of your land.
We use a 72″ proprietary galvanized muskrat-resistant fabric, called Muskrat Mesh™. This fabric covers several feet of your shoreline above water, as well as extending into the water a few more feet, which helps prevent muskrats from being able to burrow into the shore at, above, and below the water’s edge. Hardening this area with thick fabric and steel wire makes it much harder for the muskrats to dig into your shoreline, and much easier to swim away and try it somewhere else.
With our best-in-the-industry riprap installation, we can halt erosion and keep your lakeshore property just the way you like it. We can also keep muskrats and similar critters from burrowing, and we can build you a grand staircase down to your riverbank.
Constructing a Staircase Down to the Lake
Whether you prefer the durability of metal, the ease and efficiency of lumber, or the rough-hewn charm of stone, our custom-designed staircases and steps provide safe and attractive access to your lakeshore. We can build you a staircase out of a wide range of materials, including:
- Lumber
- Prefabricated concrete
- Metal
- Stone (e.g. flagstone)
- Sawn boulders
Once you can get down to the lake more easily, you can start to enjoy it more. Then you may also want a boat ramp, a sand beach, a patio, or other amenities.
Check out photos of some of the waterfront staircases we’ve designed and installed.
Contact Lakeshore Guys® to Give Your Mille Lacs Shoreline New Life
If enjoying your part of Mille Lacs requires you to halt the erosion and make your shoreline more solid, then you’re in luck. Our DNR-approved practices, shoreline innovations, in-depth explanations of our processes, photos, videos, and best-in-industry reviews, make your next step a clear and easy one. Contact Lakeshore Guys® today for a consultation.