Runoff Pollution
Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed can help you combat runoff pollution at your waterfront property.
What is runoff pollution?
When rain falls from the sky, it often runs downhill and comes to rest at a topographic low point, forming lakes and ponds. As this rainwater flows downhill, it often carries contaminants with it: loose soil, fertilizer, pet waste, and pollutants from malfunctioning appliances.
When natural buffer zones are impaired through erosion, deforested trees, cleared lots, and poorly maintained roads, phosphorus and other harmful pollutants are able to enter the water directly. Left unchecked, these pollutants can cause unsightly (and potentially hazardous) algae blooms to grow out of control.
Since the passing of the Clean Water Act of 1972, there has been a significant reduction in “point source pollution”: pollution caused directly by industrial manufacturing and energy production. Today, most water pollution is the result of “non-point source pollution”—the cumulative impact of residents and visitors of the watershed.
Ready for the Friends to help you “Slow the Flow” at your waterfront property?
Simply contact us to schedule a LakeSmart Start visit. We’ll assess your buffer zones, discuss your concerns, and provide a recommended plan of action. We’ll then send our Youth Conservation Corps to complete your project. Let us do the heavy-lifting on your shoreline!
