There is Cladophora on Our Beach!

What Can I Do?

When studying your shorefront, please remember these points.

• Cladophora is a signal of excessive nutrients (especially phosphorus) entering the lake.
• Phosphorus is almost always the limiting factor for plant growth in lakes. Reducing phosphorus input is critical to preventing Cladophora growth.
• Cladophora requires a solid bottom structure (substrate) to colonize an area.
• Currents within the lake can carry nutrients quite a distance along a shoreline, so the origin of the nutrients could be local or from elsewhere.
• Because of the substrate requirement and/or the currents, you may be polluting and not have Cladophora, or you may have Cladophora because your neighbor is polluting. Hopefully we can all work together to reduce the problem.
• The two main, owner-controllable causes of nutrient input, and therefore Cladophora growth, are fertilizer run-off and poorly maintained septic systems.
• Along these lines, but somewhat less related to Cladophora, pesticides, weed killers and other chemicals should not be used close to the lake. Especially, pesticides kill valuable aquatic insects and must be avoided.

Fertilizer Run-Off

Most people enjoy having a lush, green lawn, so it is sometimes difficult to get people to address this issue. Following are some tips.

• Don't fertilize blindly. Get your soil tested. In most cases phosphorus is in adequate supply in the soil already, allowing one to use phosphorus free fertilizer if fertilizer is required.
• Use phosphorus free fertilizer if you use fertilizer. You will most likely find that your lawn does just as well without the added phosphorus.
• Time your application, if you must fertilize, so that the chemicals have time to be absorbed before there is significant rain. Lightly watering several times after the application may help.
• Install a greenbelt. It is highly recommended that you install a green belt between your lawn and the beach. Having a strip of natural vegetation between your lawn grass and the beach helps by significantly absorbing nutrients before they enter the lake. A greenbelt has the added benefit of adding natural beauty to the shoreline. More information about greenbelts will be available at the LCA summertime "Land and Water" event on August 7 in Charlevoix and August 14 in Boyne City. More information on the Land and Water Event is on our website homepage.

Septic System Maintenance/Improvement

• If you know or suspect that you have issues with your septic system, please have it checked out as soon as possible.
• Septic tanks should be pumped out every two years. Solids build up in septic tanks, reducing the tank's ability do its job of breaking down wastes. Poorly treated nutrients, as well as disease organisms, are likely flowing into the environment long before problems are noticeable. Eventually drain fields get clogged up and flood out. By this time severe damage has been done to the system and the whole drain field will likely have to be replaced. The "out of site out of mind" septic tank must not be neglected!
• For more information on septic system repair, you may contact a septic pumping company or a septic system contractor.

Other Help

You may also get more information and help from Kevin Cronk or Valerie Olinik-Damstra at Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. They will answer to either email using Kevin@watershedcouncil.org, Valerie@watershedcouncil.org or by phone at 231-347-1181. They offer analysis services that may help you determine the source of the nutrients on your property. They will also give you advice as to how best to improve your situation.