Jennifer Yanover poses in front of completed bioengineered landscaping at their cottage on Glen Lake.
A New Perspective: Stewarding the Watershed with Natural, Native Solutions
The Glen Lake Association presents annual awards to individuals and organizations that act as stewards to the Glen Lake/Crystal River Watershed through their property management activities. This year, the Stewardship Award for Lakescaping went to Steve LaRiviere and Jennifer Yanover for their use of native vegetation and mostly natural materials to landscape their waterfront property in compliance with zoning rules, while going even further to protect the shoreline and improve water quality.
Stewardship Award Winners: Steve LaRiviere and Jennifer Yanover
Steve LaRiviere and Jennifer Yanover first encountered Glen Lake on their honeymoon while touring Michigan. Completely enamored, they soon took up residence in Glen Arbor to be near the water. But it wasn’t close enough. They initiated house hunting, and eventually landed on a cottage where, according to Steve, it looked like the 70’s were in full swing.
“It had orange shag carpet and banana-yellow siding,” Steve recalled. “But we saw the potential. Location, location, location.”
After renovations, Steve, Jennifer, and their family enjoyed the cottage part-time while renting it out for years. But now, they’re in a new phase of life. Their children are older, busy with their own friends, jobs, and other activities. This frees Steve and Jennifer up for more rest and relaxation at their cottage on Glen Lake.
And they’re enjoying it even more now, especially since making major changes to the landscaping.
“There’s a charm to it,” Steve described. “It fits in with the surrounding landscape, and that’s something I take pleasure in.”
The Award-Winning Project
Steve and Jennifer’s landscaping, which was completed by Inhabitect, does more than just emphasize the beauty of the watershed. It supports water quality and ecosystem health.
Coir logs along native shoreline plantings create a natural, vegetative buffer that will help prevent future erosion.
“We wanted to hang onto that small cottage feel while ensuring the outside would be livable and sustainable,” Steve said.
To help preserve Glen Lake’s shoreline (and the property’s value), Inhabitect used native vegetation and mostly native materials to landscape their waterfront property. The team used 200 feet of coir logs along native shoreline plantings to create a natural, vegetative buffer that will help prevent future erosion. Without creating a riprap barrier, they added large rocks to help break up erosion-causing wave energy. The rocks also will help lift ice in the winter, which will deter another major cause of receding shoreline. Upland, Steve and Jennifer chose to use a permeable gravel driveway to reduce stormwater runoff. They worked with Inhabitect to design landscaping with native rain gardens that will support water quality by capturing and filtering rainwater before it reaches Glen Lake.
Native rain gardens will support water quality by capturing and filtering rainwater.
“It’s all about changing your perspective. The tree trunk isn’t obstructing my view of the lake—it’s part of it,” Steve said. “It didn’t seem like a bad deal, to change our view a little so each generation doesn’t lose a foot of shoreline. Right now, I’m the caretaker for this land, and I want the lake to stay healthy so the next person can enjoy it, too.
“Sitting out there around the fire pit, as the sun’s beaming down and then into the cooler part of the evening, and I look out at the lake—I feel like we’re part of it,” Steve added.
For any riparians or nearby neighbors considering bioengineering and landscaping updates, Steve encourages them to learn about erosion and water quality to see how these solutions tie to property value and longevity while also supporting the watershed.
“We were excited to receive this award,” Steve said. “Getting recognized by our neighbors is wonderful and we really appreciate it. Hopefully, it gets someone else to look into a similar project.”
A New Perspective: Stewarding the Watershed with Natural, Native Solutions
If you are interested in improving your shoreline but are not sure where to start, the Glen Lake Association offers free shoreline consultations. These site visits provide practical guidance on planting native vegetation, managing erosion, and making improvements that fit your property.
Request your shoreline consultation by emailing: contact@glenlakeassocaition.org