2026 Natural Shoreline Award Winners
Scott and Jane Weiss – North Center Lake in Chisago County
The Weiss family has been part of North Center Lake for generations. Scott Weiss’s family purchased their property in the 1950s, beginning a family tradition that has continued for more than 70 years.
When Scott and his wife, Jane, took over the property, they inherited a shoreline that had already been riprapped to protect it from erosion. Their property juts out into the lake, leaving it particularly exposed to wind, waves, ice heaves and even wakes from passing boats.
The riprap had helped protect the shoreline, but Jane, an avid gardener, began wondering if there might be another way to help reduce erosion concerns.
Could plants help protect the shoreline, too?
In 2021, the Weisses attended a Center Lakes Association meeting and learned about an opportunity to work with the Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District and Chisago Lakes Lake Improvement District to improve their shoreline with native plants. The idea appealed to Jane's love of gardening while offering a more natural approach to protecting their shoreline.
They decided to give it a try.
The shoreline planting, partially funded through the statewide Lawn to Legumes program, wasn't their only project in spring 2022. Along the edge of their property, a gully had formed near the border with their neighbor. During rain events, stormwater could travel through the gully toward the lake, carrying sediment and contributing pollutants like phosphorus with it.
The Weisses partnered with the Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District to stabilize the gully, addressing another pathway by which water was reaching North Center Lake.
Together, the projects have helped turn their property into a place where shoreline protection and wildlife habitat go hand in hand.
And there is plenty of evidence that wildlife appreciates the changes.
Always nice when an eagle visits your property!
During a recent visit, monarch butterflies flitted among the blooming blazing star, along with an abundance of native bees visiting the asters and goldenrod. A blue heron flew along the shoreline, while an eagle circled overhead. A couple of the property's trees have even been compromised by a beaver — not necessarily the kind of landscaping assistance a homeowner requests, but certainly evidence that wildlife has found the property inviting.
For the Weisses, caring for the property is about more than maintaining a piece of family history. It is also about being responsible stewards of a lake that has been part of their family for generations.
Their approach has evolved from simply protecting the shoreline from erosion to thinking more broadly about how the entire property interacts with the lake — from the shoreline itself to the stormwater flowing through the property.