How Are Your Household Practices Affecting Our Lakes, Ponds & Creeks?
Eric Roberts, Friends of the Lake / Water Quality
Each of us affects the quality of water in our lakes, ponds, streams and
creeks. We cannot help but have some impact since we all live within
the watershed drainage systems of our surface waters but we can limit
the damage through our actions. Our surface waters are fed by rain
and melting snow that flows off our streets, rooftops, lawns, parking
lots, open fields, and any other exposed area. Precipitation runoff
carries with it whatever can be dislodged such as soil, salt, detergents,
degreasers, pesticides, fertilizers, oil, gasoline and other automobile
fluid residues.
Some of our lakes, such as Lake Anita Louise, contain water originating
exclusively from within our community. As such, Lake Anita Louise
and associated creeks are a direct reflection of the community’s
environmental practices. While Lake Linganore receives most of its
waters from outside of the Lake Linganore community, the lake is
significantly affected by runoff from our community. In either case,
it’s up to the LLA community to do its part to limit contamination
from entering our surface waters. Reducing the quantity and
improving the quality of storm water runoff in a community starts
with the practices of each member.
As our creeks, ponds and lakes continue to strain under ongoing
development, it is increasingly important for each of us to strive for
two basic goals in the way we live and recreate:
1. Encourage More Infiltration of Precipitation Runoff. Higher
volumes of precipitation runoff entrain more contaminants
and brings more soil erosion which brings more nitrogen,
phosphorus, bacteria and other chemical residuals into the
surface waters leading to more algae growth and less desirable
water quality. The more precipitation water that can be
infiltrated, the more the soil system can filter the water before
entering our waters.
2. Limit Uses of Chemical Substances Outdoors & Cleanup
After Pets. Before you or your contractor buys and uses a
chemical product outdoors, verify that it does not contain
phosphorus or other harmful compounds. If you must fertilize
your lawn, do so sparingly, no more than once per year (in the
fall), no closer than 15 feet from any surface water, at least 24-
48 hours in advance of predicted rain and not when ground is
frozen.
What can we do to reduce the volume of storm water runoff and
associated contaminants and algae nutrients during storm water
events?
• Paving. Limit paving area and use more porous surfaces such
as brick, pavers, gravel, wood chips, stone slab, or geo-textile
materials. Direct runoff onto grassy areas, not onto areas that
drain to storm sewers.
• Landscaping. Use landscaping that obstructs and retains storm
runoff to encourage more water infiltration. Example include
rain gardens, terraces, small wetlands, dry wells, etc. See page
27 of the July 2016 Lake Talk for more information about these
practices.
• Buffering. If near a water source or adjacent to a lake or pond,
replace some lawn with plant buffer strips of natural vegetation
and woody plants.
• Mulching. Mulch exposed soil and use sediment barriers when
necessary.
• Avoid Compacting Soil. Practices such as parking or driving
on grass contributes to soil compaction, which leads to less
storm water infiltration and addition run-off and erosion.
• Avoid Discharging Water onto Pavement. Concentrated
sources of rainfall runoff, such as downspouts should not be
discharged directly onto paved surfaces
Many of these best management practices may seem rather simple
or small, but the cumulative effect of all of us doing our part can
significantly contribute to improved quality of our lakes, ponds and
creeks.
Connect with Friends of the Lake
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Email: FriendsofLakeLinganore@gmail.com
20 LakeTalk October 2017