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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing Article Summaries |
The Cover UpBy Mike Little Around many older, much-loved camps the vegetation has been worn away by generations of lake lovers. Often on well-wooded lots, grass and traditional groundcovers do not grow well. This leaves a serious threat to our lakes — bare soil. Raindrops hitting the dirt loosen molecules containing phosphorous, which are then carried over the bare ground and into the lakes to feed the algae. Planting buffers will help, but the first goal should be to cover bare soil. What can be done? If grass won't grow because of shade or soil conditions, plant non-traditional shade loving groundcovers — such as bunchberry, lily-of-the-valley, or periwinkles. Under hemlocks (where few other plants will grow), you can let the little hemlocks grow and prune them to keep them low and bushy. If you can't get anything to grow, let the pine needles and leaves build up into a nice spongy duff layer. This is nature's filter to protect lake water quality. An alternative, instant duff layer is bark mulch, especially the "soil stabilizer" mixes available from local nurseries. Added in a four to six inch layer, bark mulch has the added advantage of helping to filter runoff. Paths should be well-defined and stabilized, as should parking areas. Buffer strips can be planted downhill from the parking area to filter runoff. Paths can be covered with stone or mulch. Paths should also meander down toward the shore — such turns give water an opportunity to run off the path and into the buffer. If the soil is bare — cover up! Mike Little is executive director of the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance. He can be contacted at | ||