Protecting the Lake: Yard Waste Disposal
We are all smart lake residents who are well informed about how our behavior impacts the lake…for better and for worse! We all know that the nutrients that come from decaying leaves and other yard waste feed the algae in the water and promote cyanobacteria blooms that are a health hazard to humans and animals.…
Read MoreProtecting the Lake: Keep Your Shoreline Clean
We all love living on our lake. We have seen the benefits of the 2019/20 alum treatment. The alum settles on the sediment and seals the nutrients (mostly phosphorus) that have accumulated over many decades into the sediment in the deeper parts of the lake. This alum “blanket” will prevent those nutrients from getting into…
Read MoreProtecting the Lake: Soil Erosion
Believe it or not, the biggest threat to Lake Attitash water quality is plain old dirt, washing into our streams and lake…from our lawns, roads, driveways and construction areas. What’s wrong with soil? It clogs waterways, hurts fishes’ gills, and carries a lot of nutrients from decaying vegetation, fertilizer, pesticides, oil, detergents and other chemicals…
Read MoreProtecting the Lake: Buffer Gardens, Rain Gardens, and Shoreline Planting
Having a “natural” shoreline with native plants and stones is probably the best thing you can do to protect the lake. The Conservation Commissions strongly discourage walls, preferring more natural slopes filled with stone and native plants. A buffer garden is a planted or wild vegetated area along the lake that functions to filter runoff,…
Read MoreProtecting the Lake: Motorized Vehicles, Boats and Other Hazardous Waste
We all live in the watershed of Lake Attitash. We all want clean water that is fun, safe for swimming and boating and beautiful to look at. What about all our motorized cars, boats and more???! In recent years, sources of water pollution like industrial waste from factories have been greatly reduced. Now, more than…
Read MoreProtecting the Lake: Fertilizers and Lawn Care
Let’s get serious! No fertilizer of any sort can be applied within 100’ of Lake Attitash as it used as a secondary water supply for Amesbury’s drinking water. Fertilizer use in the watershed is serious business! You need to know about the law! If you want to continue to see cleaner water in Lake Attitash,…
Read MoreProtecting the Lake: Pet Waste
What’s the Problem with Pet Waste? Pet waste left in our yards and communities can have many adverse effects on the environment and human health. Full of excess nutrients and harmful bacteria, pet waste can be a carrier of the following serious diseases: Parvo, Giardiasis, Salmonellosis and Cryptosporidiosis just to name a few. Besides the…
Read More