Tacoma Lakes Improvement Society

If you have a dirt or gravel road/driveway that leads to your house than you need to know about phosphorous pollution. There is a good chance that your road is contributing phosphorous to the lake. Phosphorus is a nutrient required for the growth of all plants, including algae. When it rains, fine soil particles can be dislodged from your road and washed into the lake. This is called stormwater runoff. Phosphorus binds tightly to soil particles until it is washed into the lake. At this point phosphorus can be problematic because aquatic vegetation can use it to grow, reducing water clarity, recreational and aesthetic pleasure and in extreme cases can cause algal blooms. There are other pollutants, which can reach your lake in this manner as well. Gas, greases, oils, road salt, and heavy metals that drip from your car can be transported to the lake by storm water runoff.

In watershed surveys that the University of Maine has conducted all over the state of Maine, camp roads and driveways were found to be the most important contributor of soil erosion entering tributaries and lakes, adding to phosphorus and sediment pollution.

Roads require regular maintenance. Most roads with eroded surfaces are filled with additional soil and gravel each year. We need to be mindful that this new fill does not end up in the lake. Below are some ideas to help you control road erosion and preserve your lake’s water quality.

All camp roads can create some risk to the lake, but roads that are long and steep cause the most erosion problems. We have little control over how steep the area is, but we can control how far water can run down a given stretch of road. This combined with proper road shape, diversions, and quality of road ditches will determine how much impact your road or driveway will have on your lake.

Here are some helpful links. Please consider how you can help protect our lakes by properly maintaining your camp road. Thank you!