Lawns, fertilizer and Lake Winnipesaukee's health

[mishman]

Read a very disturbing article in yesterday's NY Times about a cyanobacteria outbreak that closed down the largest lake in New Jersey.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/n...ong-algae.html

The prime factor causing the cyanobacteria bloom was nutrients getting into the water from storm water runoff and poorly maintained septic systems. Fertilizer runoff from lawns of homes surrounding the lake was also cited as a contributing factor. Everyone, it seems, wants a lush green lawn right down to the water's edge yet that is mainlining nutrients right into the water.

Seeing all the green lawns around our lake causes me to wonder what is it going to take to cause people to wake up to the danger these lawns and the resultant fertilizer application pose for water quality. People need to educate themselves (and their neighbors) about this threat and towns around the lake need to do more to mandate a non lawnbuffer around the lake and restrict the use of fertilizers. Better yet, don't plant grass at all, use native plants and bark mulch.

All of us need to do more to protect lake water quality. Read the NYT article about this lake in NJ and think about "what if it happened here?" Property values would plummet and people would be up in arms about how did this happen? We need to take action now. The Lake Winnipesaukee Association is educating people about the water quality threats to our lake. More people should become members and spread the word.

Landscape companies should all be required to use lake friendly practices (including limiting fertilizers and use only those designed to be used near water bodies) and educate their customers about the danger of lawns immediately adjacent to lakes.

Towns along the lake and the NH DES need to be far more aggressive in protecting water quality. Please help.