Waterway Stewardship II

The cardinal rule of waterway stewardship is to never throw anything into the water. There are also many other actions waterfront property owners and boaters can take to improve our local waterways.

Remove all litter, as well as excess leaves and branches. Less organic matter in the water means fewer nutrients released by bacterial decomposition to fertilize the growth of algae.

Prune limbs that overhang the water or stands of marsh grass. With the limbs gone, more light can penetrate so the grasses, which prefer full sunlight, won’t be shaded out. Also, the reduced weight of limbs toward the water will slow the tipping of the tree.

Always proceed at No-Wake speed if you are boating in restricted waterways so as to minimize shoreline erosion.

Here is the NAPS Stewardship "Tip-of-the-month":

Remove organic matter and trash from the water. Encourage the growth of marsh grasses. Both these actions will improve the clarity of our water and the health of our recreational and commercial fisheries.