The normal yearly cleanup that most of us do in late summer or early fall affords a wonderful opportunity to increase the beauty and usability of our Lake. Every nutrient we keep out of the water will mean fewer weeds the following spring. Here are some suggested steps:

1. Leaves and Cuttings: Rake your leaves and keep them from blowing into the Lake. Dispose of them far from the waters edge. Similarly, any branches or other organic matter should be disposed far from the water.
2. Each winter, when the boards of the dam are removed, the lake level drops. This is an ideal time to rake and remove weeds, leaves, branches, muck and debris exposed at the shoreline. To dispose of this material, take it as far from the waters edge as possible. This usually means transporting it in a wheel barrow and dumping it where the nutrients cannot run back into the Lake. If you have a compost pile, add this material to it.