Fighting lake algae with leaf rakes
Molly Bromert handed out gloves to Wyoming Girl Scout Troop 53737 before the raking began.
Girl Scouts in gloves with rakes and shovels gathered at Lakeside Park on Saturday, Oct. 13 to protect lake water.
When leaves and grass clippings enter storm drains, they end up in lakes. Nature deals with this in a chain reaction:
•The decaying leaves release phosphorus.
•More phosphorus in the lake causes more algae to grow.
•Excess algae decrease the penetration of sunlight to the bottom of the lake.
•Plants growing at the bottom photosynthesize less, releasing less oxygen.
•Fish and other animals get less of the oxygen they need to survive.
In addition to raking, the Scouts passed out fliers telling people how to help water quality by bagging leaves, grass clippings, and pet waste.
