Stewardship Tip: July 15, 2008 – Our Lifestyle Runs Downstream
You have waterfront property, no matter where you live.
Green lawns are great, but green lakes are not. Get a soil test before fertilizing your lawn, and avoid using phosphates when you fertilize. Natural, organic products or a mulching mower help provide nutrients in a more fish-friendly way.
Why it matters to fish: That storm drain on your street likely leads to a small stream that becomes a fishery somewhere. Too many nutrients from neighborhoods leads to algae blooms which are toxic to people, animals and even fish. Algae also reduces sight-distances for sight feeding fish (like bass, trout, and most other sport fish) so fish don’t grow as large or reproduce as effectively. Oxygen sags following algae die-offs can create fish kills.
So – if you want to catch more and bigger fish, make sure it’s “only rain down the drain…” how we care for our lawns matters much to local fisheries.
A great summary of the issue and solutions can be found at Lake Superior Streams, and it is relevant even if you live in another part of the country.
This week’s sponsor-partner: The Bassroom
Thanks to our friends at Cover Your Bass, makers of “The Bassroom” for their support, which makes this week’s “Stewardship Tip” possible.
Rising demand for our weekly Stewardship Tip and a new partnership with Fly Cast America now makes the Stewardship Tip available in Spanish. Ahora, reciba el Stewardship Tip en español. Gentileza de Fly Cast America.
To read the weekly Stewardship Tip in Spanish, click here Simplemente haga click aquí si desea recibir el Stewardship tip en Español.
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