There is something about a beautiful body of water that attracts us. Beyond the normal recreational activities – swimming, fishing, and boating, the natural beauty, diversity of plant and animal life, and the sights and sounds of water have a stress reducing effect on us. Those fortunate enough to have water on their properties share both the privilege and the responsibility for protecting this wonderful asset. The health of your lake, stream, creek, or pond has a direct impact on the value of property. Unfortunately, the image of the ‘perfect’ landscape has been shaped by decades of marketing images of plush green expanses of manicured turf grass. Landscaping properties with chemically treated turf grass, mowed to the water’s edge with no trees or other obstructions that block the view of the water, lead to a significant loss of natural habitat and deterioration of water quality. The long-term quality of water properties is dependent on property owners’ knowledge of the characteristics of environmentally sound practices.
Water Dynamics & Chemistry
All bodies of water are continually evolving, interdependent ecological systems. Eutrophication and sedimentation are two important natural processes which occur over time in all water properties. One of the goals of this Buffer Landscaping manual is to give you the information you need to mitigate the negative impact of these processes on the quality of your water.
Eutrophication
Eutrophication can be defined as an increase in the rate of organic matter entering an ecosystem such as a lake, stream, creek, or pond. Increased pollution from nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium accelerate the natural aging of the water. The contaminated runoff water or eroded soil, pollutes lakes, streams, creeks, or ponds causing algae and aquatic weeds to grow at a more rapid rate. As plants die and decompose, they accumulate on the bottom as muck. In water with high quantities of nutrients, algae, and aquatic plants, oxygen is consumed in the bottom waters by decomposing organic matter. Most fish and other aquatic life cannot survive with low levels of oxygen. Oxygen-depleted waters also create chemical changes that allow more phosphorus from bottom sediment to be released into the water. This release can stimulate more plant growth near the surface and perpetuate a cycle of high algal growth and high oxygen consumption as plants decompose on the bottom of the lake, stream, creek, or pond. For example, the Blue Algae bloom at Smith Mountain Lake in 2023 and 2024.
Sedimentation
Sedimentation is closely associated with eutrophication. Wind, water and gravity move soils from the surrounding watershed into the body of water. These soils settle on the bottom of the water, and the lake, stream, creek, or pond becomes increasingly shallow. While this process is a natural part of aging, sedimentation is greatly accelerated by human activities that leave the soil without vegetation for extended periods. Construction activity, property with little or no buffer landscaping, and intensive agricultural activities can leave soil vulnerable to erosion.
Water Clarity
Water clarity determines how deeply light penetrates the water. Without light, aquatic plants cannot grow and produce the oxygen required by fish and other aquatic life. The most important factor in determining water clarity is the amount of algae in the water. Sediment also affects clarity and light penetration. Sediment carried in runoff or stirred from the bottom by currents, fish, wind, or boat traffic causes the water to become murky. All the biological, chemical, and physical systems of a lake, stream, creek, or pond are interdependent. When one is altered, all systems are affected. Natural vegetation helps slow runoff and filters sediment and pollutants before they reach the water. Since polluted runoff is best controlled through wise landscaping practices, you can affect the quality of the water and slow the natural aging of bodies of water by participating in the buffer landscaping project.