Consider these

four areas

to help

Seymour Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.     Your Property:

·         Keep shoreline buffers in place. Lake property owner have a relatively simple but important responsibility to protect the water quality. If your waterfront property already has trees, shrubs, and ground cover, leave these in place. These plants slow run-off, keep some pollutants from entering the water and prevent erosion.

·         If your waterfront property doesn’t have much vegetation, you can prevent erosion and improve water quality be planting appropriate ground cover, shrubs, and trees.

·         If you’re building a new house, locate it well away from the edges of the lake—at least 50 feet—to keep waterfront vegetation in place and protect wildlife habitat.

·         Don’t use chemical lawn fertilizers or herbicides. Many commercial pesticides and herbicides are poisons that may run off your lawn and eventually enter Seymour. If fertilizing, use phosphorus-free fertilizer on your lawn.

 

2.  Your Household:

·         Do not pour grease or cooking oil down the drain. It will clog the soil and leaching system. Similarly, don’t overload your system with food waste from the garbage disposal.

·         Never pour hazardous materials such as paint, paint thinner, solvents, industrial cleaners, disinfectants, pesticides, or waste oil down toilets or sinks. Use the Morgan Recycling Sta.

·         Never flush non-biodegradable objects—such as disposable diapers—down the toilet.

·         Maintain your septic system properly and have your septic tank pumped every two to three years. Monitoring and cleaning your system regularly protects groundwater and surface waters, and saves you money by prolonging the life of the system.

·         Use phosphorus-free detergents and soaps in your kitchen and laundry.

 

3.     Your Boats:

·         Carefully choose your next outboard motor. Conventional two-stroke outboards, release between 20 and 30 percent of their fuel/oil mixture unburned in the exhaust stream. Four stroke motors have emissions 75 to 90 percent lower than conventional two-stroke engines. Four stroke engines make our lake cleaner. Some older personal watercraft are two stroke and can pollute Seymour more than newer models.

·         Use a gasoline container that you can handle with ease to avoid spilling when refueling you inboard or outboard motor. Pour slowly and smoothly, use a funnel or spout with an automatic stop device to prevent overfilling the gas tank, and stock your boat with petroleum absorbent pads to use while refueling.

 

4.     Invasive Species:

·         Do not import exotic plants, animals, or fish. As demonstrated by the explosive growth of zebra mussels in Lake Champlain, the introduction of a non-native species can have a dramatic impact on other wildlife species and personal property. Don’t bring new species of animals into Seymour, and don’t carry exotics from one waterway to another. (For instance, don’t carry bait and bait bucket water from one lake to another.) Clean your boat motor and trailer thoroughly before you leave an access area.

 

Your property values are directly tied to the health of Seymour Lake. Support efforts in our community to protect Seymour Lake and the land around it. Join Seymour Lake Association, an organization dedicated to water quality of our lake. www.seymourlake.org

 

 

Seymour Lake is home to a rich variety of fish and other species, and provides terrific recreational opportunities, including canoeing, swimming, fishing, and boating.

 

But Seymour Lake is under stress on many fronts. Many of these are the result of everyday activities that most of us never think about. You can help in 4 areas:

1.     Your Property

2.     Your Household

3.     Your Boats

4.     Invasive Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about ways to protect all of Vermont’s lakes and rivers, contact the Water Quality Division of the Agency of Natural Resources at 1(802)241-3777.

www.vtwaterquality.org

 

For more information about Seymour Lake Association

www.seymourlake.org

Simple ways we can help  Seymour Lake’s envionment every day

     Seymour Lake

       Morgan, Vermont