Are you a lake steward?

Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates has launched a program that would make Smokey Bear proud (see the previous post). The Lake Steward initiative delivers consistent messaging that encourages property owners to protect their lakes by managing their shorelines wisely and sustainably.

The inspiration came from the Gull Chain of Lakes Association (GCOLA). The group began by offering offered on-site shoreline assessments. Owners of properties that met a set of criteria qualified to receive a colorful Lake Steward sign to post on their piers. GCOLA found that property owners who noticed the signs wanted one for themselves. And so the number of Lake Stewards grew.

The statewide MLRA organization adopted the program, which at last report had helped protect more than 2.5 miles of shoreline in less than two years. The program is open to all Minnesota lake associations that are MLRA members. And what messages does a Lake Steward sign implicitly and consistently deliver? They include:

• Avoid broadcast fertilizers and pesticides
• Maintain your septic system
• Keep stormwater runoff from getting to the lake
• Keep a buffer on natural vegetation along the shoreline

Here is a link to a video in which Dorothy Whitmer of GCOLA explains the Lake Steward initiative in detail.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksr-VKJpLaY

Could you qualify as a lake steward? Go here to take a quiz and find out:https://mnlakesandrivers.org/lake-associations/lake-association-programs/lake-steward/#:~:text=The%20Lake%20Steward%20Program%20is,it%20relates%20to%20water%20quality.