Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a list of Frequently Asked Questions from lake front homeowners and their responses. If you have questions you'd like answered, e-mail them to info@quaddicklake.org.

Yard Maintenance

Q. Can I use chemical fertilizers?

A. Homeowners within the Quaddick Lake watershed should avoid fertilizing your lawn or garden. If you must fertilize your lawn, use a product with little or no phosphorus such as 23-0-6, 30-4-4 or 26-4-4. Remember, lake weeds are good sources of nutrients for your garden.

Q. Is there something I can use to fertilize my lawn that won't flow into the lake?

A. Leave grass clippings on the lawn. They return nutrients to the lawn.

Q. I'm replanting my lawn. Is there a certain type of grass I should use?

A. Whether planting new or just replanting a lawn, use a seed mixture with a high percentage of fescue grass. It requires much less fertilizer. Fertilizers wash through the ground and into the lake and act as a nutrient for the nuisance weeds.

Q. What should I do with my leaves in the fall and spring?

A. Leaves should be raked or blown away from the lake. Leaves contain large amounts of nutrients. Start a compost pile using leaves and weeds raked from the lake. This compost is excellent for your garden and landscape plants.

Q. Can I burn the leaves I collect?

A. Not within 50 feet of the shoreline. Burning turns the leaves into instant fertilizer which is easily washed into the water with the next rain.

Septic Maintenance

Q. Can my septic system affect the lake?

A. Regular maintenance of your septic system is important to reducing weed growth in the lake. Your septic tank should be pumped and inspected every one to three years, depending on usage (how many people, weekends or seasonal or year-round occupancy, etc).

Q. Can I make my septic system more efficient?

A. You can reduce the amount of water used in your home by adding water dams to your toilet tank and installing faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads. This helps your septic system operate more efficiently. This can prevent sewage overflow into the lake and can help reduce the frequency of tank maintenance.

Q. Is there anything that could make my septic system less effective?

A. Never use a garbage grinder in your kitchen sink. The ground-up food contributes to septic system problems and adds nutrients to the lake. You can also seriously harm your septic drain field by adding fill to your yard, planting deep rooted trees nearby, or driving a vehicle over it. This can cause leaks into the lake.

Shoreline Maintenance

Q. Is there any shoreline maintenance I can do to protect the lake?

A. You can plant a shoreline about 20 ft wide of shrubs, bushes and tress. These plants utilize phosphorus and nitrogen and act as a buffer zone or filter before groundwater and runoff pass into the lake. You should also ensure there is proper drainage on and near your lot so that erosion will not take place.

Q. Is there anything I can do in the water to reduce the weeds around my docks?

A. You can use a bottom weed barrier to control or eliminate small areas of invasive plants, such as under docks and in front of beaches.

Ducks and Geese

Q. I seem to have a lot of ducks and geese near my property. Is this a problem?

A. Yes. Ducks and geese contribute to the weed growth in the lake by leaving significant amounts of "natural fertilizer" on the lake bottom. You should never feed ducks or geese from your dock. This contributes to shallow water weed fertilization. There is plenty of natural food available in the lake for them. Also, ducks and geese have been shown to pass on "swimmer's itch."

Back to top