Wind protection options for a ski lake?

[Slalom.Steve]

Looking for recommendations for wind protection options/solutions for an "average" size slalom ski lake, with the qualities you'd expect: dense foliage that extends low to the ground, grows quickly, hardy/not sensitive to conditions, low maintenance, and ideally inexpensive. Certainly open to out-of-the-box ideas too, my brother recently pondered if bamboo would work? It does grow crazy fast. Or how about just piles of dirt? 😄

EDIT/ADDITION: for my purposes, I'm looking at lower Midwest area, but feel free to post recommendations for other regions as well to create a little database of info.

[Menzelskier]

Poplars surround many ski lakes in the PNW, both west and east of the mountains. Very fast growers.

[A_B]

We planted Poplars 40 years ago and they did grow fast.  Many died out several years ago and half of those started growing again.  The other bad thing about poplars is cotton wood.  I have found that I am very allergic to it and when it sits on top the water it gets in my eyes and it isn't a good situation.  

If I had to do it all over again, I would plant Norway Spruce or some other fast growing Pine tree that will not drop leaves into the water to form algae blooms.   We planted over 5000 pine trees one year and unfortunately that became a very dry summer and the lack of vegetation in winter had the deer and rabbit chomping on a majority of what we planted.   The ones that made it have formed a nice 30 foot high wall to block the Turnpike traffic and it is difficult to even see the lake when ridig by on the Turnpike.  If only the other sides survived like that one!  

[BraceMaker]

It's like everything related to trees the best time to plant them. 10 years ago. Second best? Today.

Height isnt all that necessary to drastically change wind.  A dense row of shrubs even a few feet high provides an astonishingly far wind effect.

You can also cheat trees can be planted on mounds to give them artificial height and kick start the efforts.

Closer to the lake is better but higher is also better.  The wind starts dropping over the trees so your peak protection is closer in.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

It really depends on the best native tree that grows well in your part of the country.  What is great in the PNW probably won’t do well in drier parts of the country. 
something in the evergreen family is probably your best bet.  Check locally to see what varieties grow fast and wide

[BobF]

We did eastern red cedars around ours.  They grow fairly quickly once established, provide good protection, and stay pretty thin.  We didn't want anything that would grow too far out into the access around the lake.

[lpskier]

Bamboo grows fast and does the job. 

[h2onhk]

Green Giant Arborvitae.   Grows very fast (~ 3' per year), no leaves or other droppings hitting the water, and its hardy in zones 5-8 (midwest).  Might be able to find a large price break online somewhere if you buy in bulk.

[BKistler]

Check with an arborist at your state’s land grant university Cooperative Extension Service. Free expert advice. 
 

BTW, be careful of planting on mounds. Mounds tend to dry out quickly and will probably need a lot more irrigation. 

Edited May 31, 2023 by BKistler

[lpskier]

Arborvitae is deer candy. 

[UWSkier]

Will White Pines grow well by you?  They grow fairly quickly and do a good job of breaking up wind.

[BraceMaker]

17 hours ago, BKistler said:

Check with an arborist at your state’s land grant university Cooperative Extension Service. Free expert advice. 
 

BTW, be careful of planting on mounds. Mounds tend to dry out quickly and will probably need a lot more irrigation. 

That is true mounds are a double edged sword.  Particularly early on, but if you're not irrigating right at the trunk of the trees and keep your irrigation at the perimeter of the root structure trees with stretch their roots out and deeper which as they get taller makes them less prone to uprooting.  When the only trees for thousands of yards around are your windblock you have the risk from that too.

[3mustskiteer]

Shortline Shores in St Mary's OH planted a very fast growing tree species around their lake. Not certain what species but its bushy with a lot of branches that start low to the ground. Excellent wind block in a short time. It's Dammeyer's lake, not sure if any of the fam or folks who ski with them are ballers but I would assume so. 

[MISkier]

@dammeyer11 might have the answer on their windblock.