EPA's Office of Water has launched a new web clearinghouse of Lake Shoreland Protection Resources [1], which provides practitioners with links to key resources to protect and restore fragile lake shorelands and to promote better stewardship by lakeside property owners and others who recreate on lakes. The clearinghouse, which includes links to fact sheets, webcasts, videos, and other helpful resources for lakeshore protection, is part of an outreach campaign to educate the public and others about the key findings of the National Lakes Assessment (NLA). According to the NLA, poor lakeshore habitat and high levels of nutrients are leading stressors affecting the biological health of lakes. Among the key findings:
- 56% of our lakes are in good biological condition.
- More than one-third of our lakes exhibit poor shoreline condition; poor biological health is three times more in lakes with poor lakeshore habitat.
- Nearly 20% of lakes have high levels of nutrients. Lakes with excess nutrients are 2.5 times more likely to have poor biological health.
- Microcystin - an algal toxin that can harm humans, pets and wildlife - is present in about one-third of lakes across the country.
In 2007, EPA, the states, Tribes and others partners sampled more than 1,000 lakes as part of this first-ever, national assessment of the ecological condition of the nation’s lakes. For a print copy of the report (EPA publication number EPA 841-R-09-001) contact EPA's publications warehouse at 1-800-490-9198. Or download a copy of the report [2] or the data used in developing the report.