Most of us choose to live on Bald Eagle Lake because of the water-related activities we enjoy. It is a beautiful, healthy lake. Let's not jeopardize that by inadvertently harming it.

A Short History of Lawns (pdf)

Lake Friendly Landscaping

Skip the fertilizer and weed killers.
Anything that greens your lawn also greens the lake. Chemicals put on a lawn eventually wash into the water. Weed killers and pesticides are harmful to the fish--which are eaten by many lake residents. A lush lawn may be a status symbol in other places, but around a lake it is a sign that the owners don't care about the lake.

What can you do? Simple.

• Mow your lawn high — three inches is the rule.
• Use mulch around trees and plants to help retain water, reduce weeds and minimize the need for pesticides.
• Use herbicides and pesticides very sparingly and limit the application to problem areas only.
• Select plants native to Michigan because they require less water and little to no fertilizer and are more disease resistant.
• Avoid over-watering your lawn — it needs only about one inch perweek.
• Overseed your lawn once a year.

Lawn Care The Natural Way—Basic Weed Control

In a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer mix:
One (1) cup of any shampoo with
One (1) cup hydrogen peroxide with
Two(2) tb sp. of instant tea
Fill the balance with plain water and spray your lawn.

Keep zebra mussels out of our lake.

The unusual clarity of of lake is no doubt caused by the invasion of zebra mussels, which are remarkable water filters. I have seen them in our beach area, attached to rocks. They are a small invasive species that can cause a lot of damage to boats and as well as cover seawalls and the undersides of docks. They are also kill off of the native bivalves (mussels).
Zebra mussels get their name from a striped pattern which is commonly seen on their shells, though not all shells bear this pattern. They are usually about the size of a fingernail, but can grow to a maximum length of nearly two inches. The shape of the shell is also somewhat variable. Their shells can be sharp, which makes walking in lakes where they are abundant painful.

Keep your septic tank clean

 

Skip the fertilizer and weed killers

 

Rake your beach

 

Bag your leaves

 

Waterfront care

 

Build a buffer along the shore to keep the lake clean.

 

Beach sand

 

Seawalls

Zebra Mussels
Boats, jet skis and water bikes can all be carriers of these pests. Zebra mussels have become a problem in the Great Lakes and are showing up in lakes in Oakland County. These mussels will attach to any smooth surface and multiply rapidly. If you take your watercraft to any other body of water, be sure to rid it of mussels before putting it back into Bald Eagle Lake. There are two ways of doing this:

• If you let your craft sit out of the water for several days the mussels will die.
• If you can't wait that long then you must wash down your craft and trailer thoroughly with a mixture of water and a small amount of chlorine bleach

Cleaning the bilge is also important since you could have inadvertently put larvae into it. This matter should not be taken lightly. In no time at all these pesky little critters could take over our small lake. If you have an inboard, they can attach to your outdrive and if you don't use it often they can cause considerable damage. On outboards they can clog exhaust holes. The practice of washing your craft should be done any time you go from lake to lake. Eurasian milfoil was spread this way. Once the mussels have been introduced it is too late. So, please, take the time to clean you craft before launching it back into the lake. If you allow guests to put boats into our lake, be sure their boats are free of mussels.

Keep your septic tank clean
Most septic tanks need cleaning every two or three years. If you have a garbage disposal you must have your tank cleaned more often. It is recommended that you do not use a garbage disposal.

Rake your beach.
You can help the overall health of the lake and improve your own beach if you rake out the weeds. A large, heavy landscaping rake will do the job in deeper water. Pull out the weeds by the roots if possible and churn up the bottom. Bag the weeds for garbage pick-up or use them them as compost elsewhere on your property. Pieces of weeds left in the water can root elsewhere, so please remove all of the raked leaves. Landscaping rakes can be purchased at nurseries and hardware stores.

Bag your leaves
Burning leaves release ash containing phosphorus which, when it falls in the water, fertilizes the weeds, not to mention the damage toxic, smoky air does to people with respiratory problems.

Waterfront care
If you do any work in the lake you must first obtain a permit from the Michigan DNR

Buffers
Building a buffer of plants along your shoreline can help keep the lake clean.
For information on plants to use near lake shores go to
Springfield Township Native Vegetation Enhancement Project

Beach Sand
Because any sand being put into the lake can possibly carry harmful parasites, residents are greatly discouraged from putting sand into the lake. You must get a permit, the sand must be DNR approved washed sand, and the DNR will decide if you really need to add sand. Usually, by raking your beach area you can create a good bottom.

According to the Inland Lakes and Streams Act, reasonable sanding of beaches to the water's edge by a riparian owner is allowed without a permit.

Seawalls
If you build a seawall you must get a permit from the DNR. Usually the contractor building your seawall does this for you.