What You Can Do to Stop Algal Blooms
Some simple steps to keep algal blooms out of local lakes.
Interested in helping stop algal blooms? While the problem is complicated, and you may feel like meaningful solutions only reside in state legislatures and well-funded government laboratories, there’s plenty you can do to keep algal blooms at bay.
Make your lawn lake friendly: Only fertilize to the degree needed. Many homeowners overfertilize their lawns, increasing the likelihood of nutrient runoff into local waterways. An inexpensive soil test can help you pick the right fertilizer for your lawn.
Watch that storm drain: Keep leaves and grass clippings out of storm drains. Cities can act like big yard waste funnels. The small amounts of phosphorus in the leaves and grass clippings from a whole city can end up in its water ways. They really add up!
Plant a rain garden: Some cities will fund the conversion of your roadside easement into a rain garden, which will capture and filter storm water before it arrives at the storm drain.
Advocate for smart policy: Learn about the laws your state or city has regarding nutrient runoff in its waterways. Find and join a group advocating for lake-friendly policies. Talk to your representative about what they can do to stop algal blooms and urge them to support critical scientific research into stopping algal blooms. Check to see if your state has funds available to assist in funding projects to reduce non-point source water pollution. If it does, encourage your city leaders to apply for funding to help reduce your community’s contribution to the problem.
Volunteer: Many cities have volunteer clean-up days for river banks and parks. Or, find an organization actively monitoring the lakes for nutrient levels. A little bit of time can make a big difference.
Tour a research lab or your city’s water plant: Learn more about what researchers are doing to better understand the problem that will lead to novel solutions to this important problem. See what your city does to protect your water supply.
Educate yourself: If possible, learn something about the farmers who grow your food. Find out if they take measures to keep nutrients out of the waterways. Learn about your watershed. See how it links you to a larger area, and how what we do on land can impact greatly lakes that may be many miles from your community. Learn about the threats to your watershed and what you can do to remove them.
