Runoff is water from rain or melted snow that flows over the land’s surface into lakes. When that runoff carries contaminants with it, that’s known as nonpoint source pollution (NSP). NSP can come from everyday activities like spraying fertilizer on your garden or spilling some engine oil on your driveway.

Unmanaged runoff accelerates eutrophication, harming aquatic life and reducing water quality. Eutrophication is a natural lake aging process where plant life such as algae overgrow and consume too much dissolved oxygen in the lake. Imagine a fish gasping for air underwater! You can help.

Use (and share!) these tips in your own landscaping and gardening:

• Patch bare spots in your lawn with native grasses or groundcover
• Minimize the time the soil is disturbed during planting and avoid work before storms
• If you must fertilize your lawn or garden, ask for zero phosphorus fertilizer or use compost
• Use native plants in your landscaping and along shorelines to prevent erosion

Photo by Tokyo Kohaku on Unsplash

In northern Indiana, native plants include flowering dogwood (pictured above), spicebush, and wild columbine. Avoid using invasive plants such as Japanese honeysuckle.

Learn more at The Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams and Wawasee Area Conservation Foundation website.