What are lake-friendly lawn maintenance practices?

Lake-friendly lawn maintenance starts with appreciating that we live in a watershed with a web of life that is tied to the aquatic and soil webs of life. 

Yes, it is a recreational lake and to keep it one that we can all enjoy, we must do what we can to work within those systems. 

Ideally, for the lake, lots would have about 25% of their total lot area covered with trees and natural vegetation. 

The soils’ natural web of life gets suppressed by the use of synthetic fertilizers and harmful chemicals. Lake-friendly lawn maintenance focuses on promoting the soils health through methods and products that work with nature and avoid adding any unnecessary extra nutrients to the soil, so that collectively we not adding nutrients to the lake.

The cheapest, easiest and best lawn practices do not use any fertilizer of any kind, at all. Some people have reported that they have adopted a relaxed attitude about the appearance of their lawn, re-naturalized parts of their lawns that they do not use, and of the lawn that they do retain, take pride in owning a lawn with a lake-friendly appearance with some plant diversity in the lawn. This will also give you more time to enjoy family and friends. 

There are methods to encourage a healthy lawn without adding fertilizers or other chemicals.

For more information check out Maintaining Lake Lawns.