Research and Demonstrations

Rush Lake Erosion Research

by Mary Blickenderfer

For decades lakeshore owners and boaters on Rush Lake (part of the Whitefish Chain north of Brainerd) have viewed the steep, sandy, eroding banks of County and DNR Islands. Past efforts to stabilize these banks have been partially successful, but the erosion continued.

In the summer of 2004 people living on Rush Lake were greeted with a curious sight resembling a patchwork quilt of colors on the steep slopes and a log jam along the bases of these two islands - these islands had become research sites, testing the effectiveness of several erosion control methods! Combining the successes of past erosion control efforts with new technology and techniques, several state and local agencies, organizations, and businesses coordinated and established this research project.

This article will describe the methods used to stabilize the upland slopes on these islands. In the next issue learn about the methods used to control erosion at the water's edge.

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