and
What You Can do to Make it Better
By
Emma Eisenbeis (age 11)
and
Julie Taiber
Whether you live on one
of our ponds, use it for recreation or just like it for the aesthetics, these
tips will help improve overall appearance and health of our ponds – and more
importantly, contribute to healthy! drinking water.
This information is
also available at www.wind-n-wood.com, where we plan to post future household
hazardous waste collection dates and other recycling events in our area. Feel free to help make our neighborhood
“green” by contributing your thoughts and suggestions.
Use
fertilizers judiciously
The same fertilizer that
makes your lawn green will also accelerate the plant growth in the ponds and
potentially contaminate groundwater. While
the Michigan Department of Natural Resources recommends that landowners avoid
applying fertilizer and pesticides within 100 feet of a pond
(http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/Habitat_Mgmt/Wetland/
Building_Managing_Ponds.htm),
our pond would benefit from a chemical free zone of 15-30 feet. According to Kevin Eisenbeis (pond committee
chair), many pond management experts, including those at MSU Extension,
recommend that ponds be served by "no mow zones" and "chemical
free" zones (no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizer) of 15 -30
feet. While a 30 foot "no mow' buffer may be impractical in a
suburban environment (see next section), a 15 or 30 foot chemical free zone is
not infeasible, and should be encouraged. Put another way, while 15 feet
is helpful to pond health, 30-100 feet is optimal.
If this sounds like too
big a pill to swallow at once, you can experiment with reducing fertilizers and
weed control products by bringing the treatments 5 or 10 feet closer to your
house and see if the results are acceptable. You can also reduce your fertilizer use by alternating years you apply
fertilizer and pest control – every year may not be necessary for your lawn.
If you’re just not sure
what do to, take advantage of MSU’s soil testing lab. They urge “Don’t guess… soil test!” Don’t assume your plants need fertilizer.
Perform a soil test, save money and reduce the chance of over-applying by replacing
the nutrients your soil is actually missing. MI State University Extension
offers easy-to-use soil nutrient testing and recommends a soil test every two
or three years. (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/ess-nps-savvy-fertilizer_209418_7.pdf). For detailed instructions on MSU’s soil
testing, visit the Department of Crop and Soil Science’s website at http://www.css.msu.edu/.
Start a greenbelt &
get rid of “lawn to the pond”
Even a small naturalized no-mow strip, called a
“greenbelt,” around the pond’s edge produces a trap for unwanted nutrients (such
as from goose droppings) that contribute to algae bloom. A strip of natural vegetation alongside the
pond also enhances beneficial wildlife habitat such as our blue heron, the
smaller heron, turtles, and bullfrogs. Furthermore, it discourages geese. Geese
are attracted to mowed and fertilized lawns that extend to the shoreline.
They prefer to land on water and walk onto the lawn
(http://www.chenequa.wi.us/Highway/goose%20management.htm). Not mowing the perimeter of the
pond, if even just a few feet, will: Reduce erosion, trap nutrients
and contaminants, provide aquatic and terrestrial habitat, and arguably improve
the overall aesthetics of the pond. Even
if you cannot install a greenbelt of the ideal width, it is important to
remember that a greenbelt of any width is better than no greenbelt at all
(http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-water-wetlands-chap7.pdf).
Stay away
from phosphorus fertilizers
If you fertilize your
lawn, make sure that your lawn service uses phosphorus-free fertilizers. It is estimated that just one pound of phosphorus in the water will
produce 500 pounds of blue-green algae. Much of the phosphorus (phosphate) you
apply actually runs off the lawn before penetrating the soil. That means it
gets into our pond contributing to the algae bloom and growth of other
undesirable aquatic plants. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can tell
that a fertilizer has no phosphorus by checking the second number on the
fertilizer package formula. 15—0—10, for example, means zero
phosphate. The first number is the nitrogen content, the middle number is the
phosphorus content and the last number is the potassium content. Make sure the middle number on the bag is 0
indicating it is phosphorus free.
(http://lakemadison.info/nophos.htm).
Grasscycle
Grass clippings from a
mulching mower add organic matter to your lawn, helping to reduce runoff. Clippings are 85 percent water. Short clippings
quickly decompose, adding valuable nutrients to the soil. By mulching grass,
fertilizers can be reduced by 30 percent or more! A common myth is that grass
clippings cause thatch, a layer of living and dead roots and stems growing
between the green layer and the soil. Troublesome thatch is actually caused by
improper use of lawn chemicals, compacted soils, and excessive watering.
(http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_MS4_LawnGarden_Article_159348_7.pdf)
Take
care of your septic system
Even perfectly maintained septic systems can pollute
groundwater, especially if the soil is highly permeable or the water table is
close to the surface which is the case after our very wet spring and summer. Never put chemicals such as drain cleaner, turpentine, paint thinner,
solvents, grease, gasoline, and large amounts of bleach down your sink because
they kill the bacteria that break down solid wastes in the septic tank or clog
the tank – and ultimately leach into groundwater and into our water
supply. If you need any of these products, dry off excess paint with a paper towel
before rinsing; avoid caustic cleaning products; and drop off toxic chemicals
at our local hazardous waste collection (see the attached flyer for household waste recycling
dates). Additionally, water
conservation practices such as installing low-flow toilets and shower heads can
extend the life of a septic system
(http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-water-wetlands-chap7.pdf). There is no magic tablet to drop into your
septic tank to prevent you from needing to get it pumped regularly. Many experts advise a family of four with a
1,000 gallon septic tank to have the tank pumped after 3-5 years of full time
use.
A garbage
disposal can double the amount of solids added to a septic tank (http://homebuying.about.com/cs/septicsystems/a/septic_care.htm),
so consider household composting which can improve the health and lengthen the
life of your septic system. Compost is
also a method of organically fertilizing your lawn and beds without
chemicals. For information on easy
kitchen scrap composting that does not involve aerating or watering, or if you
prefer information on the more time-consuming method of composting, contact Julie Taiber.
Follow New Guidelines for Disposing of Drugs
Research on the
effects of PPCPs (pharmaceuticals and personal care products), in our water has
focused on hormone disruption in fish and increased human resistance to
antibiotics due to an abundance of antidepressants, estrogen and antibiotics in
the water. Studies indicate that
domestic septic systems do not destroy PPCPs, so never flush prescription drugs, expired drugs, or any
pharmaceuticals down the drain – solid or liquid
(http://www.ecocycle.org/askeco-cycle/20040123.cfm). While the jury is still out on the proper way
to dispose, you can minimize risk to the water table by dumping meds (ground up
if in pill form) into cat litter, coffee grounds, glue or sawdust (rendering
them unusable), placing in a ziplock bag, and disposing in the trash. Additionally,
Meridian
Township
offers periodic collection of PPCPs, the next one taking place Oct. 4, 2008
(see attached flyer).
Do not eat
the bass in the pond
Catch and release! If you hurt the bass population, the bluegill
population will skyrocket and can wipe out other wildlife (frogs,
turtles). As the top predator in our
pond, bass control the populations of other fish, which, if left unchecked, can
contribute to excessive nutrients and algae in the pond. If you have any
questions about the fish ecosystem in our neighborhood, contact Emma Eisenbeis.
Recycle
your batteries, thermometers, and fluorescent lights
Don’t put these things into your
trash – they contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel,
which ultimately contaminate our water. Recycle your batteries at the
Meridian
Township
Municipal
Center across from the
Okemos farmers Market/Central Park (
5151
Marsh Road, Okemos). In the lobby of the building is a large receptacle
for battery recycling – drop off anytime. The other items are collected through the
hazardous waste collections (see flyer below).
Thank you!
Emma Eisenbeis (517.347.7063)
Julie Taiber (julietaiber@gmail.com; 517.347.4226)
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