Natural vegetation SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE versus turf grass Sustainable Agriculture Turf grass lawns should be Leduc County and the County of Wetaskiwin avoided on waterfront properties No. 10’s shared full-time Sustainable Agriculture Managing your as much as possible, as they are not program manager promotes the awareness and as effective at controlling erosion and adoption of beneficial management practices surface runoff when compared to natural in assisting landowners in becoming educated waterfront lakeshore vegetation. stewards of our land and water resources. It is important that landowners understand the lawn care requirements of waterfront Leduc County 101, 1105 - 5 Street properties. Nisku, AB | T9E 2X3 Landowners are urged to eliminate the use of www.leduc-county.com cosmetic fertilizers, which are fertilizers used on residential properties to promote lawn Kim Barkwell, Program Manager and plant growth. Eliminating the use of all Phone: 780-387-6182 cosmetic fertilizers is ideal, however, if you Email: [email protected] must use fertilizer, organic fertilizers (manure, compost, etc.) are preferred. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn will supply nutrients in place of fertilizers. Landowners should expect to tolerate vegetation diversity on their property and choose drought and disease-tolerant varieties when performing landscaping outside of the County of Wetaskiwin No. 10 buffer zone. 243019A Highway 13 Wetaskiwin, AB | T9A 2G5 Resources www.county.wetaskiwin.ab.ca Alberta Lake Management Society | www.alms.ca Kim Barkwell, Program Manager Cows and Fish | www.cowsandfish.org Phone: 780-387-6182 Living by Water | www.naturealberta.ca Email: [email protected] Pigeon Lake Watershed Association | www.plwa.ca Wizard Lake Watershed and Lake Stewardship Association | www.wizardlake.ca County of Wetaskiwin Cosmetic preserving as much natural lakeshore Fertilizer By-law vegetation as possible. A healthy riparian zone enhances and protects In 2015, the County of Wetaskiwin Council • Avoid the use of harmful cleaners, the health of the entire lake by providing the approved By-Law Number 2015/36 to restrict chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides on following ecosystem services: bank stability, the use of cosmetic fertilizer around six lakes land near the shoreline. water storage, biodiversity and water quality. within the County. The following is an excerpt from the by-law: Managing your waterfront Signs of an unhealthy 3. PROHIBITION shoreline Human disturbances of all kinds can affect The use of Cosmetic Lawn Fertilizers, other a watershed and, ultimately, lake health. than natural compost, is prohibited within • Increased erosion and loss of property Sometimes, what people find aesthetically one hundred (100) metres of the shoreline pleasing along the lakeshore can actually have • Increased levels of chemicals and/or of Battle Lake, Buck Lake, Coal Lake, Pigeon a negative impact on lakeshore function. nutrients in the water Lake, Red Deer Lake or Wizard Lake in the • Increased water contamination County of Wetaskiwin No. 10. In isolation, each disturbance might appear • Increased algae blooms 4. EXCEPTIONS to be insignificant, however, disturbances can compound to have a significant negative • Cloudy water This By-Law does not apply to the application impact on lake health. of Cosmetic Lawn Fertilizer: • Regular flooding To minimize impacts on the lake, landowners (a) on lands used for the purpose of can do the following: agriculture, Effective buffer zones • Maintain their waste-water system. (b) on lands used as a golf course or a golf A buffer zone is an area, measured from the driving range where that land use is in • Use low-impact solutions for roads, trails shoreline, designated to preserve the lakeshore accordance with the zoning in the Land Use and docks. and prevent human activities from having a By-Law, • Practice responsible boating and fishing. negative ecological impact on the watershed. (c) on lands used for horticultural production, • Maintain an adequate buffer zone while The buffer zone often includes the riparian such as greenhouse or market garden, zone and a portion of the upland zone. (d) lands used as nursery stock for tree BUFFER ZONE production or reforestation, or The minimum suggested buffer zone is 30 Upland zone Riparian zone metres (100 feet)*, with more sensitive or (e) lands used for turf grass or sod fragile areas requiring a greater buffer zone. If production. the minimum suggested buffer zone cannot be accommodated, landowners should preserve For a full copy of the by-law please visit the natural vegetation as much as possible. County of Wetaskiwin website at: www.county.wetaskiwin.ab.ca The greater amount of natural lakeshore vegetation and ground cover in a buffer What is the riparian zone? Image courtesy of Living by Water zone, the more effective the buffer zone will be at preventing erosion and other negative Lakeshores are great locations for natural impacts. A landscape of natural vegetation is vegetation growth. The land closest to the low-maintenance, with no additional watering, shore, where water and land meet and interact, cutting or fertilizing required. is called the riparian zone. *On the Living Edge, Alberta Edition, 2002, Kipp and Callaway.