Funding for Shoreland Property Owners

Do you want to attract more fish to your shoreline? What about keeping your shoreline from eroding away? Or maybe you’re just interested in doing the right thing to improve the water quality on your lake? Vilas County Land & Water Conservation Department is seeking lakeshore property landowners wanting funds to improve lake water quality or shoreline habitat.

Practices would be installed primarily by private contractors. If landowners are willing to assist with labor, costs can be kept low. The Vilas County Land & Water Conservation Department helps waterfront property owners coordinate appropriate plans and use of contractors.

Vilas County Land and Water will be applying for grant funds from the DNR on behalf of interested landowners. The funding is available through a Healthy Lakes Grant, which is part of the Wisconsin DNR’s Surface Water Grant Program. While Healthy Lakes are competitive grants, to date no project has been turned down for lack of funding.

There are some projects that will not be appropriate for Healthy Lakes. If you have a steep shoreline or excessive runoff, that may be outside the scope of Healthy Lakes. However, there may be other funding options available. Contact Vilas County Land and Water at 715-479-3721 if you would like to address critical erosion issues on your lakefront.

If you are interested in Healthy Lakes or would like more information, contact the Vilas County Land & Water Conservation Department at 715-479-3738. They can assist with getting these projects “shovel-ready” for 2020.