In previous entries I have discussed my criteria for selecting a particular waterfront property. In this series I will take a look at the ecological concerns related to living near a body of water.

We hear a lot about our own personal “footprints” on this earth, and how we should minimize our negative impact. Living near water, we can make a huge difference in the quality of that water by what we do.

When we Fertilize, apply pesticides or weed killer to our lawns the chemicals are likely to leach down through the soil and into the water. When our septic system operates poorly, or when our outboard or inboard boat motor is not adjusted properly, the purity of the water is reduced.

Pesticides kill fish and water plants, fertilizers and improperly operating septic systems encourage  weeds to grow so fast so that they can overwhelm the ability of the water system to balance itself, leading again to fish kills and the choking off of the water flow.

The introduction of non native species of plants and animals can have a huge impact. For example, our lakes in the Portage Lakes system have been invaded by alien water plants, the Eurasian Watermilifoil and the Curlyleaf Pondweed. They have  just about crowded out our native water plants.

We've all seen what the arrival of Zebra Mussels has done to us. Boat bottoms and motors, dock supports, seawalls, and intake screens quickly become clogged by layers of these little pests. Since they filter the water for food, the water has become much clearer, allowing the sun to penetrate much deeper and encouraging the alien water plants to grow faster and in much deeper water. The mussels also compete with native fish and invertebrate species for food.

Zebra Mussels are thought to have arrived in ballast water from ships arriving in the Great Lakes from the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and were first identified here in the 1980's. They have spread to the inland waters of Ohio and of other states by hitching a ride on recreational boats and by migrating into connecting streams and rivers.

To read more on this topic go to a report the report “Invasive Species in Ohio” published by Union of Concerned Scientists which can be downloaded at http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/invasive_species/Ohio_invasives.pdf

Watch for further posts in this series where we will take a closer look at septic systems and lawn treatments.