Seawall Project #4 - Shawano Lake

On Shawano Lake, we restored a shoreline where the old seawall had nearly disappeared. What was once meant to protect the property had eroded so badly that it hardly looked like a seawall anymore—just a thin layer of loose rock barely clinging to the edge of the lake. With years of wave action and ice movement wearing it down, it was clear that the shoreline was in need of real support.

To bring lasting stability back to the site, the remnants of the failing seawall were removed and replaced with engineered riprap—a specially designed rock placement that’s far more effective and environmentally friendly. Unlike seawalls, which create hard surfaces that bounce waves back and accelerate erosion, riprap absorbs and disperses wave energy. It’s built to handle ice shove and shifting water levels, and it creates far better habitat for fish and aquatic life.

Behind the riprap, we installed a diverse mix of native plants to strengthen the shoreline even further. Their deep root systems hold the soil in place, soak up surface runoff, and support pollinators and wildlife. Some of our favorite plants from this project include Big Bluestem, Prairie Smoke, and Wild Geranium. Together, the riprap and native vegetation have transformed what was once a crumbling shoreline into a stable, vibrant, and living edge of Shawano Lake.