¥Poorly buffered property
¥little vegetation
¥artificial beach 
¥lawn mowed to shore
¥no deep root systems
Well- buffered property
¥full lakeshore coverage
¥plants cover the entire area    between the lake and the house
¥thick, diverse vegetation
¥riprap
¥
These are pictures of lakeshore residences in Maine.

The first photo is an example of a good buffer.  Some of its important characteristics include:
-First,full lakeshore coverage. Note how the entire lot length is covered with vegetation.
Also, plants cover the entire area between the lake and the house
- The vegetation is thick and diverse.  It is best to have a combination of trees, shrubs and grasses that resemble a natural forest.  Roots of different depths hold the soil well and Root systems create  uneven surfaces that promote absorption by obstructing water flow
-The photo shows the well buffered property also having riprap- the layer of rocks along the shoreline protecting the soil from erosion by waves

The second photo is of a poorly buffered property.  There is no substantial vegetation, and the artificial beach could easily be eroded by waves, the lawn is mowed to the shore and there are no deep root systems to hold the soil in place.

CEAT surveyed each buffer strip on Threemile Pond and our results were somewhat disapointing.