Unit Review

Section 1: Landscape Design and Grounds Maintenance

In this section, you covered:

Minimizing paved areas:
Keep paved areas to an absolute minimum (e.g., designated work areas and roadways for heavy equipment). Consider covering other areas with washed stone instead of paving them.

Using upland and inland areas:
Excavation of an upland area for a marina with a channel to navigable water is an acceptable alternative to locating the facility in the water body itself.

Expand upward:
Rather than adding wet slips, consider expanding storage capacity by adding dry-stack storage.

Conserve sensitive land:
Place adjacent, sensitive land in a conservation trust. Income, estate, and property tax benefits may be available. Participate in land preservation programs. Sell or donate the land (or the development rights to the land) to a local land trust or a non-profit organization.

Practicing water conservation through landscaping practices:
Save on water bills, reduce your maintenance activities, and protect water quality by minimizing water use.

Adopting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices:
Because of your proximity to the water, it is important to avoid using toxic lawn and garden chemicals to the greatest extent possible. Instead, deter unwanted plants or animals with Integrated Pest Management practices.

Section 2: Creating Habitat Areas

In this section, you covered:

Maintaining and/or developing vegetated areas:

  • Maintain vegetated buffers between impervious areas (e.g., parking lots) and at the water’s edge.
  • Plant vegetated areas with low-maintenance plants.
  • Select perennial plants instead of annuals. Choose plants that bear flowers, fruit, nuts, and seeds to attract birds, small mammals, and other wildlife.
  • Plants suitable for the particular area and climate must be used.

Enhancing habitat:
Create new habitats or expand habitats in your marina basin. The addition of rock or native plant species on the shoreline can create new areas for feeding and spawning. Consider how any changes you make to the shoreline affect wildlife.