Everyone has a Role to Play
Everyone has a role to play in helping improve the Mitchell Lake water quality. Much of the deterioration of the lake has progressed as a result of the increased building construction around the lake over the past 2 decades.
For example, did you know?…
- Water run-off from our lawns washes fertilizer and pesticides into the lake? Managing and minimizing the water-flow into the lake from our lawns will help the lake tremendously.
- Water run-off from our driveways and the street in front of our homes washes directly down the storm drains, straight into the lake. The soap used to wash our cars and the oil and coolant from the leaks from our vehicles is toxic to the lake environment and washes straight into the lake. Repairing our leaky vehicles and having them washed at professional cars washes that recycle their water is recommended. Another option is to wash our cars on our lawns rather than the street or driveway for those who prefer not to have their vehicles professionally washed.
- Do your rain gutters direct the run-off from your roof straight onto your driveway and onto the street? Re-directing the gutter run-off of rain onto your lawn as a buffer or using rain barrels to capture the rain run off is recommended. Nothing is better for landscaping and flowers than rainwater.
- Consider creating a natural buffer between your lawn and the lake by restoring your shoreline with native plants. Information on shoreline restoration can be found on line at www.bluethumb.org, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakescaping/index.html,
www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/manuels/stormwaterplants.html.
- Do heavy rains collect in pools and puddles in your yard? The easiest way to help water infiltrate into the ground rather than run off into storm sewers is by creating a raingarden. Strategically place your raingarden on a site that will intercept water runoff. If constructed properly, the garden will drain the water within two days. Information can be obtained on line at www.
bluethumb.org