Fall
2008
Vol. 16 No. 3 |
"A GOOD IDEA will keep you awake during the morning, but A GREAT IDEA will keep you awake at night." - Marilyn vos Savant, American writer
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In this issue... Reflections from the President 2008 Summer at the Nature Area Save Lake Erie Historical Society Holiday Boutique 16th Annual Membership Meeting Saturday, November 8 10AM Upcoming Events... November
8 |
Save Lake Erie Many of us remember when Lake Erie was declared dead: algae were fouling the beaches and large dead zones starved of dissolved oxygen were making life nearly impossible. The culprit was the massive amount of phosphorus released into the lake by the Detroit and Cleveland sewer systems. A ban of phosphates in laundry detergents and upgraded sewage treatment showed rapid improvements and soon the lake was teeming with plenty of fish. Unfortunately now algae have returned and phosphates again are suspected. This time agricultural fertilizers and run off from massive livestock operations appear to be the main culprits. We can do our part to decrease the phosphate load on the suffering lake: use phosphate-free detergent in your dishwasher and phosphate-free fertilizer on your lawn. Mature lawns do not need phosphates. The second number on your fertilizer bag is the percentage of phosphates, therefore it should be zero. It's a small effort, but worth it.
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