Reduce the Amount of Lawn
Bringing the suburban lawn mentality to the lake has also brought more opportunities to
degrade the quality of our lakes. Limit the amount of lawn and keep as much natural
vegetation as possible, or replant natural vegetation—especially near the lake. Not only
will you reduce runoff, you’ll reduce the amount of yard work, freeing you up to recreate
instead.
Maintain a Healthy Lawn to Absorb More Water
• Mow to a height of two to three inches; mow when dry to prevent clumping. Taller
grass provides shade for better root growth, which helps with water absorption.
• Consider replacing some of the grass in your lawn area with clover, native grasses, or
other groundcovers that don’t need watering.
• If watering is necessary, water deeply, but infrequently, to encourage deep root growth.
Water with lake water. (Hint: use the nutrients in the lake to make a healthy lawn instead
of frequent fertilizer applications.) Water in the morning, not mid-day or evening.
• In hot weather, allow lawn grasses to go into a state of dormancy so that they require
less water and nutrient intake for survival. Water 1/4 to 1/2 inch every two or three
weeks to keep crowns from dehydrating beyond the point of recovery.
