Everyone is aware of the increased weed growth in the last few years, and yet residents continue to burn leaves and fertilize despite repeated warnings. These test results confirm the cause of the weeds is fertilizing and leaf burning since the only parameter to have very poor results was nitrogen, ammonia distilled.

Nitrogen, ammonia distilledAmmonia in a lake promotes weed growth—this is why we test for it. The more ammonia levels rise, the greater the weed growth, until it finally becomes self-perpetuating. Ammonia then promotes weeds, the weeds create more ammonia, etc., etc., and finally we have a weed-choked lake.
Then, in an effort to live with excessive weeds, we would be forced to employ the use of commercial weed cutters and chemicals, like so many other lakes have. According to the research chemists who test our lake water, excessive ammonia is a direct result of three things:
1. Poorly maintained or failing septic systems.
2. Leaf burning. Leaf ash becomes fertilizer when it falls into the lake. Yet every fall we continue to see more burning.
3. Lawn fertilizer. No lawn can effectively absorb all fertilizer, especially during heavy rains, causing excessive runoff into the lake. Many lake associations force new residents to sign no leaf burning and no fertilizing agreements. There is one thing all the testing laboratories we’ve used over the years agree on:

If it greens your lawn, it greens the lake

Which is more important?
A lush lawn or a healthy lake?
I can’t speak for anyone else, but
I don’t want my grandkids swimming in a lake full of weed killing chemicals, or to be paying the outrageous cost of yearly weed cutters. The Lake Association spends a great deal of our money every year having our water tested by a professional lab that specializes in lake water. It only makes sense to take their advice.
Fecal coliform
This reading was zero just a few years ago. We test several times a year for fecal coliform to monitor how serious this problem is. Too many beaches on other lakes have been closed in recent years because the water was not tested on a regular schedule as we do, and by not looking at this potential problem in its very early stages, as we are doing.
I would be glad to answer any questions concerning these tests.
Bruce White, 627-6170