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CHEMICALS
All household chemicals can potentially harm your lake. Use your head!
Don't change your car's oil near the lake.
Handle ALL gasoline and petroleum products with extreme care.
When was the last time you spilled a bit of gasoline while refueling your boat tank?:
One gallon of gasoline can contaminate as much as one million gallons of groundwater!
(Don't dump it on the ground, either.)
Clean your boat on shore, never on the lake, and, never on the lake with ANY kind of cleaner.
Keep your boat and motor in good repair.
Avoid using bleach, drain cleaners, and other strong cleaning agents and most pesticides and fertilizers.
Take extreme care when using paints and paint removers.
(And, don't dump the residue down the storm drain! Guess where it goes.)
Investigate non-toxic household products and safe pest control methods with our county extension agent or call someone who knows.
LAWN CARE WITHOUT PHOSPHORUS CLICK HERE
Believe it, or not, your lawn does not need all that tender loving care. Just get rid of the weeds and you'll be surprised.
Less is more! No kidding, it actually takes about 20 to 30 percent less fertilizer than is listed on the bag.
Use no-phosphorus fertilizers if at all possible. Phosphorus loading is one of the causes of excess "weeds" in the lake. (Phosphorus is the second number on the label, I.e.: 10--10- 10. ASK your applicator to use no-phosphorus fertilizers.
Phosphorus-free fertilizers are available at Leesburg Lawn & Garden Ctr., and, Clayton Garden Ctr., North Webster. Use fertilizer with a slow-release nitrogen, and leave a buffer area near the lake where no chemicals are used.
Keep high nutrient grass clippings and fall leaves out of the lake. Composting is a better solution.
Consider a mulching lawnmower.
Phosphorus comes from fertilizers, detergents, and organic matter. Nitrogen comes from fertilizers, manure, and organic matter. Phosphorus and nitrogen can over-stimulate aquatic plant growth and speed "eutrophication"--the process of natural aging--of your lake. CLICK HERE to find out where to buy phosphorus-free fertilizer.
SEPTIC SYSTEM
Don't ignore your septic system. "Out of sight, out of mind" does not work at the lake. Septic systems should be properly sized for your size family, situated away from the lake, be approved by the appropriate health authority, and, be installed by a qualified contractor. Purdue University says as many as 70% are working inadequately! CLICK HERE FOR SEPTIC SYSTEM INFORMATION. Once a septic system is installed:
Keep the drain field clear.
Clean the septic system regularly and have it inspected every one or two years. Pump every year!
Avoid or limit the use of toxic chemicals in the home.
Avoid chemical products for your septic that boast less frequent tank pumping. (These add excess nutrients to the lake.)
LAKE ETIQUETTE
Be courteous on the water.
Know and obey boating safety rules. CLICK HERE for lake depths map.
Put all trash, including food wastes, into a bag to dispose of in a trash can on shore.
Observe no wake zones.
Maintain a 10 mph speed limit on Little Chapman.
Operate motorized boats at IDLE speed within 200 feet from the shoreline and in shallow water (less than 15 feet depth). Remember boat wake and turbulence can cause damage! Boating above idle speed or at "near plane", between 6 and 8 mph in shallow water, causes the most damage, according to a Penn State study. (Dr. David Hill) CLICK HERE for lake depths map.
Run your boat or watercraft during hours when most people are awake. (Remember, it is illegal to run above 10 mph after sunset.)
Other than the 200-feet-from-shore limit, stay at least far enough away from the shoreline to protect the ecology, shoreline, and uses of the shoreline like swimming and fishing off docks.
Special note for ice fishing: Pack up all trash, including food and fish entrails.
Special note for bass fishing tournaments: Watch your speed near shoreline and in other boat traffic! Is your boat too big or too fast for the lake?
AQUATIC PLANTS & DREDGING [READ THE LAW--CLICK HERE]
No, you cannot just rake "weeds" out and dump anywhere; and, you cannot use herbicides without a permit, unless you do less than the equivalent of a 25x25 square foot area. If you rake, it's great nitrogen for your garden or lawn. Any dredging requires three permits and can only be done July 1 through December 31. CLICK HERE for more info.
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