A heavy rain like last Saturday’s reveals all the vulnerabilities in Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake watersheds. Conditions were particularly bad Saturday as the still frozen ground was reluctant to accept any of the incoming precipitation, and it raced unimpeded across lawns, driveways and roads, burrowing in where it could.

Places where soils were bare were easily eroded in the storm, as were many driveways and work sites. Over at Knickerbocker Lake, where two properties have been under development this fall, a steady plume of dirt flowed into the lake from streams that cross those properties. Phosphorus, a natural element and plant nutrient, is mobilized with eroded soils, so it too was entering the lake in large amounts on Saturday. Too much phosphorus in lakes is what tips a lake from clear and clean to weedy and green.

The Water District has been working to fix runoff and erosion sites in both watersheds for the past few years, with the help of federal and state grants. We will continue to do so. But Saturday showed us again that success in protecting water quality is really in the hands of watershed property owners.

We all disturb soils on our properties when we construct new buildings, put in a walkway or garden, or clear vegetation to expand lawn for a play area. That’s a natural part of enjoying our properties and making them our own. But in a fragile lake ecosystem – and that’s where all Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake watershed land owners live – it’s important to remember that soils left bare will be easily eroded in storms. And if there is running water on your property, eroded soils are likely to quickly reach the lake.

What can be done? Number one, please watch the weather forecast! If you are in the middle of a project and rain is predicted, cover bare soil with hay mulch, erosion control mulch or even a tarp to protect it from rain. If you have started a project but don’t plan to finish it soon, then it is essential to cover soils with some kind of mulch for long-term protection. If there is a waterway flowing through or adjacent to your property, a barrier between your work site and flowing water may also be necessary. A mounded mulch berm works well in these cases. In the long term, replanting the area once work is completed is the best option for erosion control.

Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake are the Region’s water supply. If we, as a community, are going to protect water quality, controlling erosion and runoff from the watershed is our number one goal.

If you live in the watershed and are working on a development project or plan to soon, we would like to help. We can help you design a project that meets your needs and protects the lakes. For more information, please contact Sue Mello at suem@bbrwd.org or at 207-350-3127.