KEEPING OUR LAKE CLEAN IS EVERYONE’S JOB

 

Contributed by Judy & Kurt Bohren, August 2002

 

We all live in a real special place, and whether you live on Crystal Lake or on a cul-de-sac street, keeping the lake clean and healthy is everyone’s job. Our attitude is the first important step in protecting our lake. It should reflect an understanding that what we do on land and in the water affects the lake. In short, we should recognize that our lake is vulnerable, and that in order to keep it healthy we, both individually and collectively, must assume responsibility for its care.

 

For example, if not for Jeanne N. who noticed the mess, and immediately notified the local fire department, a recent diesel oil spill on Crystal Lake Circle East could have easily made its way into the lake with heavy rains and sprinkler runoff. Thank you, Jeanne!

 

As a rule, if you live in Crystal Lake much of what you do outside can impact the lake, especially runoff from washing cars, fertilizing, spraying pesticides, and exterior cleaning using chemicals, painting, and dumping water from hot tubs. Why? The reason is that most of the streets in CL drain directly into the lake not into the ditches or sloughs. What goes into the street ends up in the lake.

 

As a lakesider, we regularly fish coke cans, plastic bags, plastic tops, packaging, fishing hooks and line, garbage can tops, and tons of other stuff out of the lake.  Much of it has ended up in the lake due to high winds. But some of it has been pitched in and left to sink. None of it is good for the ecosystem. Please, do what you can to keep the lake free of trash.

 

We believe that most people are aware that our lake represents a rather fragile ecosystem that was mostly undisturbed for at least 20 years before it was developed into our community in 1996. However in the last five years the lake has experienced some stress from our homes, and we feel that the lake seems much murkier these days than it was in April 1997 when we moved in. Indeed we know a man who used to swim in Crystal Lake 20 years ago. He told us the lake was so clear that standing thigh high in water you could see your feet. The murkiness is most likely due to over-fertilization of our lawns, and subsequent algae growth. This process is known to scientists as advanced eutrophication.  The days of clear water are gone, but maybe with a little bit of work and concerted effort we can hold steady, or make Crystal Lake even better. You can do many things to keep Crystal Lake healthy. Here are a few tips we collected from various US organizations that are concerned with keeping lakes clean and healthy. We invite everybody to contribute. Here are some tips:

 

• Use fertilizer that does not contain phosphates. This is indicated on the bag by an index like 16-0-8, where the middle number 0 indicates the absence of phosphates. The other numbers indicate percentage of nitrogen (as in NH₃) and potassium as in KCl. Apply fertilizer only if your lawn needs it. Try to use a drop spreader, which is more precise but slower than a rotary type spreader. Sweep up any fertilizer that falls onto your driveway or sidewalk. Don't hose it off. Don't apply fertilizer just before a rainstorm, or else your grass won't have a chance to absorb it before it gets washed away. Don't use more than the recommended amount. Using too much fertilizer is a waste of money, can pollute our lake water, encourages weeds, and may damage your plants. Don't use "weed-and-feed" products. Instead of targeting only problem areas, weed-and-feed products spread pesticides all over the treated area. The excess will go to waste and could contaminate our lake. A professional may use liquid spray fertilizers. Reduce or eliminate pesticide use on your lawn and garden. Spray on a bright non-windy day so the spray will dry quickly and stay put. If possible, avoid time release fertilizers in granular form, and stay away at least 10 feet from the lake (this is  an absolute minimum).

   

• Phosphorus (in form of phosphates) can cause undesirable algae blooms and vigorous growth of lake weeds. Grass clippings, leaf litter, and other forms of organic debris should be removed and kept off hard-surface areas (our streets) where they could be carried in runoff to surface water areas. These materials should not be dumped on or near shoreline areas where nutrients released during decomposition can move directly into the water. Again use zero-phosphorus fertilizers.

   

• Maintain or establish a shore land buffer zone of natural vegetation. Buffers prevent erosion and infiltration of nutrients into the lake. Encourage woody vegetation and tall grasses to stabilize the shore land. Minimize the disturbance of aquatic plants as they help to stabilize shorelines, and they are critical as habitat for fish and other wildlife. Slow shoreland runoff with gentle sloping and terraced landscaping.

   

• Last but not least: We will start testing the lake for ammonia, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, dissolved oxygen, pH, and bacteria (if time allows), and post the results here. This effort will be donated initially to the community.