Posted by I am writing a book on lake stewardship based on my 20+ years of experience managing lakes and working with lake stewards across the United States. I’ve included an excerpt from the introduction that tells a bit more about the why and what of this book. There are several good references out there that provide the nuts and bolts, and I intend to provide some of that as well. More importantly, I hope to distill my experience into a valuable and unique resource for those of you out there who live on and care about lakes. As the book progresses, I will likely share portions on-line here. Meanwhile, feel free to write me, the Wandering Limnologist, and tell me what are your main questions and concerns so that I can continue to provide answers on this blog (see Ask the Wandering Limnologist post) and further refine the book so it meets your needs.
Introduction
Managing your lake or pond is going to be the most demanding socio-politico-economic-environmental undertaking in your life. Say goodbye to summers spent swinging in the hammock and hello to squabbles with seasonal friends and neighbors, endless meetings, . . . Well, it’s not all bad. Your lakefront property is an investment that needs protecting, an economic investment related to your retirement, a legacy to leave your offspring. While complicated at times and fraught with the real potential for conflict, acting as good stewards of your lake is one of the most rewarding ways you can spend your valuable free time.The purpose of this book is to get you up to speed on lake stewardship by sharing my lake management knowledge accumulated through more than two decades of experience working on literally hundreds of lakes and ponds across the eastern half of the United States. You will learn important aspects about lake ecology and water quality. You will learn how your presence on the shore of a lake impacts lake ecology and water quality. You will learn the things you can do to preserve your lake. And you will learn about the things you can do if you need to restore your lake to a more pristine condition. While the science of applied limnology, the study of freshwater systems, and lake management can be complicated, I will do my best to present this material in a way that helps you understand what is going on beneath the surface of your lake.
Lake Stewardship 