Healthy Lakes

from LAKElife Magazine - July 2022

Final Thoughts

Mindful Boating + Homeowner Practices = Healthy Lakes

by Beth Morris + Pam Schumm

Do you ever stop to think about the health of our lakes?

The health of our lakes have many similarities to the health of our bodies. It’s easy to take the health of our lakes for granted, expecting that they will always be clean and clear from one generation to the next.

But, like humans, lakes age over time. They can get clogged with sediment, and overgrown with algae and weeds from excessive nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. These negatively affect the health of our lakes if they remain in the waters, accumulating over time.

Nutrients and sediment affect recreation (boating, swimming, and fishing), water safety (potentially harmful blue-green algae), and property values. How do nutrients and sediment get into the lake?

Water always runs downhill, settling in the lowest spot. So, water running off our roofs, hardscapes (like paver patios and concrete surfaces), and lawns runs into streams and ditches, carrying the nutrients with them and ultimately ending up in our lakes.

Nutrients like phosphorous can attach to sediment particles and settle to the bottom of the lake. When the lakes turn over twice a year in the spring and fall (that’s when the water temperature is the same throughout the entire depth of the lake), sediment is resuspended. And when boats stir up the bottom leaving a plume of brown water in their wake, it’s not good for the water quality. Why is that a big deal? Stirring up sediment can release the attached nutrients and feed more nuisance weed and algae growth.

What YOU can do

In addition to what comes into our lakes from streams, there is run-off into the lake from our roofs, yards, patios, and decks. You can help by:

• Making sure any lawn chemicals used on your property do not contain phosphorous.

• Planting native plants as a buffer between your property and the lake to soak up run-off before it gets to the lake.

• Keeping leaves and yard waste (grass clippings) out of the lake and streams.

• Boating in deep water. Don’t stir up the lake bottom. If you see a sediment plume behind your boat, alter your speed to plane it out or move into deeper water.