Grasses for Reservoir Shorelines

Michael Dorn and Larry Dyck
Clemson Botany Department Clemson, SC

The purpose of this talk is to discuss the erosion that occurs on the reservoirs of South Carolina's piedmont. It will cover the different types of reservoir management and how the conditions are different depending on the management of the reservoir. This talk will describe how grasses have ideal characteristics for holding soils and slowing wave energy without reducing the views across the reservoir. It will cover the process involved in testing the grasses in order to decide which species are best for reservoir erosion control. I will discuss the tests that were performed in the Cooperative Shoreline Plant Nursery as well as the tests performed on the shorelines of Lake Hartwell and Lake Keowee. Finally, I will recommend some of the grass species that have been found to be successful, and I will discuss some of the species that are still being tested.