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The Torch Lake Protection Alliance gave out Shoreline Legacy awards at their annual meeting in early August.

They rewarded six property owners, one from each township surrounding Torch, for maintaining shorelines that are healthy for water quality - usually by having natural plants along the water to help capture phosphorous, sediment or to prevent erosion.

The characteristics of each of the selected properties varied, from hilly, to forested, to flat and wide.

Michael and Sharon Ninkovich own the property that was selected from Central Lake Township and have for 18 years.

"(Our property) is hilly," Sharon Ninkovich said. "I've got it all planted with perennials. I did that purposely three years ago to make sure that nothing washed down in the lake. If you take everything out, you lose your ground."

The TLPA said there are many approaches to helping the water and they were not looking at one specific way to do it.

"It doesn't matter what your property is to begin with - if you do things to keep phosphorous out of the water, sediment out of the water or prevent runoff, you are improving the lake," TLPA Executive Director Ray Ludwa said. "There are many ways to do that."

The TLPA partnered with the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed to jointly decide who got the awards. The organizations have pictures and information on every house on the lake from a buffer zone study conducted in summer 2007, funded by the Department of Environmental Quality.

"While doing the survey and evaluating the photographs of various properties it became clear that a number of approaches can, and do, work effectively. Each property has its own challenges and no one approach will work in every situation," stated a press release from TLPA.

Ê Ninkovich appreciated the gesture of rewarding actions that help protect the lake.

"Instead of telling people what to do to improve, they want to lead by example," she said.

Buffer zones stretch from the high water mark of the lake to 50 feet inland. This study reviewed the characteristics of this zone on all 1,752 lakefront properties. The Watershed Center and other environmental groups say when a buffer zone has shrubs, trees, grasses and other vegetation, a greenbelt, it improves the quality of the lake. When surveyed last year, the Watershed Center found that many properties on Torch Lake are lacking these buffer zones (only 10 percent had greenbelt zones rated as 'excellent').

The water protection groups say that it is essential to have vegetation with deep roots to help filter and remove excess nutrients (like phosphorous) from run-off, hard surfaces and septic drain fields.

Northern Michigan lakes are cleaner than many in the country, and some in Antrim County are afraid that may someday change.

Ninkovich said it is essential for her to have plants on her steep slope or else a storm could come through and take a toll on the property.

"If you ruin it, it's gone and then you're talking thousands of dollars to correct the damage," Ninkovich said. "If you can do it, plant grass, bushes or flower beds to hold the shoreline. We've got a gorgeous lake out here - we want to keep it nice."

Ludwa said the idea of "legacy" is key, because people's action today can truly either leave a good or bad mark on the future.

"They are leaving a legacy for the next group of people that's very positive," he said of the winners.

The six winners are: Central Lake, Sharon Ninkovich; Forest Home, Jeanne Bassett; Helena, John and Pat Fauver; Clearwater, the Weiser property; Milton, the township for Rice Avenue Access; and Torch Lake, Bob and Mary Summerfeldt.

Ê "It is the hope of the Protection Alliance that by making these awards to these proactive homeowners, others will be motivated to follow their example and improve their property to benefit the lake thereby leaving a legacy everyone will appreciate," stated the release.

The TLPA plans to continue giving out these awards, and Ludwa hopes that eventually they can develop a criteria list for obtaining a Legacy Shoreline Award that people who are interested can follow.

"They could get help through these organizations," Ludwa said about those interested in developing a better greenbelt buffer zone.

Hadley Robinson can be reached at hrobinson@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-533-8523.