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Do’s
& Don’ts for Lake-Front Residents
Do
- When planting
or replanting a lawn, use a seed mixture with a high percentage
of fescue grass. It requires much less fertilizer which acts as
a nutrient for the weeds and algae in the lake.
- Leave grass
clippings on the lawn. They return nutrients to the lawn.
- Avoid fertilizing
your lawn or garden. If you must fertilize, use a product with
little or no Phosphorus such as 23-0-6, 30-4-4 or 26-4-4. Lake
weeds and algae are good sources of nutrients for your garden.
- Rake your
lawn (leaves) away from the lake. Leaves contain large amounts
of nutrients.
- Start a compost
pile using leaves and weeds raked from the lake. This compost
is excellent for your garden and landscape plants.
- Maintain
your septic system regularly. The septic tank should be pumped
and inspected every one to three years, depending on usage.
- Reduce the
amount of water used in your home by adding water dams to your
toilet tank and installing faucet aerators and low-flow shower
heads. This helps your septic system operate more efficiently,
preventing sewage flow into the lake.
- When feasible,
plant a shoreline (20 ft wide) of shrubs, bushes and tress. These
plants utilize phosphorus and nitrogen and act as a buffer zone
or filter before groundwater and runoff pass into the lake.
- Be sure there
is proper drainage on and near your lot so that erosion will not
take place.
- Use a bottom
weed barrier such as Aqua Screen to control/eliminate small areas
of invasive plants
Don't
- Drain any
type of sewage into the lake.
- Burn leaves
near the shoreline. Burning turns the leaves into instant fertilizer
which is easily washed into the water.
- Destroy
the soil holding vegetation on the shoreline. These plants prevent
erosion.
- Feed ducks
or geese from your dock. Plenty of natural food is available in
the lake. Ducks and geese may pass on swimmer’s itch and
leave significant amounts of “natural fertilizer”.
- Use a garbage
grinder in your kitchen. Ground-up food contributes to septic
system problems and may add nutrients to the lake.
- Use cleaning
products containing phosphates.
- Harm your
septic drain field by adding fill, planting deep rooted trees
nearby, or driving a vehicle over it.
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