Pottawatomie State Lake No. 2 is a recreational lake near Manhattan, Kansas that
attracts families and anglers to enjoy a variety of activities such as fishing, camping,
and picnicking. Unfortunately, the lake is showing signs of erosion and degradation
near the shorelines which poses ecological concerns for aquatic species like the
Largemouth Bass and accessibility and safety concerns for the site’s visitors.
This report aims to spotlight the importance of rehabilitating shorelines to create
connections between aquatic habitat, shoreline access, camping, and day-use
programming along recreational lakes in the Flint Hills Ecoregion of Kansas. With
the long-term goal of establishing Pottawatomie State Lake No. 2 as a future
precedent for similar lakes, this report explores design guidelines and a projective
design for the site.
This report builds on research about naturalized shorelines and aims to fill the
gaps between the human recreation and the ecological functionality of manmade
lakes. To achieve this result, this report includes a literature review, site analysis,
precedent studies, design guidelines, and a projective design. By conducting these
methods of research, this project shows how to create naturalized shorelines that
improve aquatic habitat for Largemouth Bass while wisely addressing the need for
human recreation near the water’s edge at Pottawatomie State Lake No. 2.
