The simplest thing you can do as a shoreline homeowner is to not mow all the way to the water’s edge. A 10 to 35-foot buffer of natural grasses, shrubs, and wildflowers between your lawn and the lake creates a natural buffer to filter pollutants and runoff before it gets to the lake. A natural buffer also deters geese, because they won’t go ashore where they can’t see what’s ahead of them.