2023 Vol 17, Issue 5 September Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 4 of 8 Of Lakes and Dishwashers: A Fun Look at Preventing Illicit Discharge in Gem Lake By Nick Voss, VLAWMO Education and Outreach Coordinator Here’s a question I’m sure you’ve reflected upon frequently: what do a lake and a dishwasher have in common? Any guesses? Though it seems like a trick question or an inside joke, it’s not an abstract connection. Both dishwashers and lakes work best with a thorough pre-rinse. This small preventative care task helps each stay clean, avoid costly repairs, and operate smoothly. Instead of placing dishes full of crumbs and food directly into the dishwasher, the machine will perform much better if those dishes are first wiped or rinsed off. As a kid you may remember your parents telling you to first clear off the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. Lakes work in much the same way. The more debris that enters a lake, the harder that lake will have to work to process it all. Too much sediment buildup will require costly maintenance to keep the lake water clear and supportive of aquatic life. If that sediment is prevented from first entering the lake, the entire aquatic eco-system will function far more effectively. An important common denominator dishwashers and lakes share is us, the people who use them. While we wipe and rinse dishes that we put into our dishwashers, we also need to be mindful of what we allow into our lakes. Storm drains, ditches, dry creeks, and wetlands all direct storm water runoff into lakes and whatever we allow into these conveyances eventually enters the lakes (and rivers). Chemicals, pesticides, automotive fluids, pet waste, road salt, and even natural items like leaves and grass clippings all have the potential to choke out the lake or river making them unsafe for wildlife and human recreation. Dumping any of the above listed items into stormwater conveyance systems is known as “illicit discharge” and is illegal. Returning to the dishwasher analogy, a broken dishwasher is an inconvenience; we must now take the time to wash our dishes by hand. When waterbodies are contaminated public health is negatively impacted, especially if people recreate in the water or it’s part of a public drinking water network. Waterbodies with excessive amounts of pollutants are known as “impaired” and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) maintains a list of impaired waters. In 2018 Gem Lake’s namesake lake was removed from the Minnesota list of impaired waterbodies, something we all can be proud of. To keep Gem Lake from being relisted, or to help other lakes and rivers, here are some best practices to follow: • Lawn care: Sweep grass clippings away from pavement; mulch them back into the grass for free fertilizer. • Yard waste: Mulch leaves with a mower at 50- 75% coverage on the lawn, depending on the texture and moisture. If there’s extra, dispose of leaves through a curbside yard waste service or at a Ramsey County yard waste site. • Winter maintenance: Use salt sparingly and maintain 3” between crystals – erring on more salt doesn’t make ice melt any faster and often leads to leftover excess when the ice is gone. Instead of salt, grit is the ideal product for creating that satisfying “crunch” when walked on, and it can be swept up and reused for later. • Hazardous waste: Plan ahead for responsible disposal. Visit https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/recycling- waste/a-z-disposal-guide for insight on how to dispose of paints, water softener salt, concrete mix, and more. More information can be found at the city’s website at https://www.gemlakemn.com/vlawmo/ For more tips on how to help Gem Lake be squeaky clean visit https://www.vlawmo.org/residents/