Thursday, March 19, 2020

How to Keep a Lake Healthy and Clean

How to Keep a Lake Healthy and Clean Living with a lake view can be a wonderful way to feel close to nature, to enjoy aquatic activities, and to experience the seasons as they go by. However, owning lakeshore property comes with responsibilities towards the ecological health of the lake. To be able to continue enjoying the natural beauty and recreational activities a lake has to offer, and to  keep your propertys value up, here are a few steps to consider: Minimize Runoff Pollution is perhaps the most direct threat to a lake ecosystem. In the absence of industrial waste discharge, much of the pollutants come from rainfall runoff. Perhaps the single most important step to prevent water pollution is to control the amount of pollutant that gets into the lake washed in by rainfall. This can be accomplished through several approaches: Minimize your lawn area. Maintaining a grass lawn is often thought to mean the application of fertilizers and herbicides and it is very difficult to dose them precisely. Rain will transport excess fertilizer into the lake, which will stimulate smelly, unsightly, and potentially toxic algal blooms. Consider skipping the fertilizer, and learn to live with an imperfect lawn. Better yet, cut down on the amount of lawn you need to maintain. Herbicides can be toxic to aquatic life – if you need to use them, spot treat the problem areas as needed.Capture runoff from impervious surfaces. Rooftops and driveways are examples of impervious surfaces, which do not allow water to percolate into the soil. Instead, rainwater collects pollutants and speeds off, contributing to soil erosion. These soil particles end up in lakes, creating sedimentation problems. Roof runoff can be captured with rain barrels, and later used to water flower beds. Road runoff can be routed into a rain garden made o f water-loving plants. The energy of the moving water will be absorbed, slowing down erosion, and the suspended particles will get deposited in the garden, instead of in the lake. If you’re planning a new or replacement driveway, consider permeable ones made of pavers which lets run water through and reach the soil. Protect Natural Shoreline Vegetation Bare lawn all the way to the shoreline might be an aesthetic that appeals to some, but it is hurtful to a lake. It is important to protect existing vegetation along the shoreline: the shrubs and trees there keep the shallow waters cooler, preventing unsightly algal blooms and protecting fish habitat. The plants’ roots hold on to the shoreline soil, preventing erosion. A thick vegetation strip along the shore also acts as a buffer, absorbing pollutants and sediment flowing towards the lake.Replace lost or damaged shoreline vegetation by planting native species. Your local nursery should be able to suggest fast-growing, hardy plants adapted to wet shoreline conditions. Discourage Invasive Species When landscaping your property, stick to native plant species, especially along the shoreline. Exotic plants can become invasive and rapidly spread along the shore, displacing native ones and disrupting the aquatic ecosystem. Damaging invasive  plants include phragmites, purple loosestrife, and reed canary grass.A common way for invasive aquatics plants to enter a lake is by hitching a ride on a boat (an invasive species vector). Bits of algae or plant can be stuck on a boat propeller, or on the trailer, and be accidentally transferred from one lake to another. To avoid this,  take precautions before putting a boat in and better yet consider the possibility of implementing a boat inspection station at the public boat ramp. Many states have grants to assist landowner associations in funding these inspections. Particularly worrisome are Eurasian water-milfoil and​ the spiny water flea, as they can radically transform a lake’s ecology and significantly alter recreation al activities. Friendlier Fishing Countless lakes now have invasive fish species that were introduced by anglers. Don’t be a bucket biologist – only use native fish, crayfish, and leeches as bait. Many lakes have aquatic ecosystems that have now been transformed by the introduction of yellow perch, golden shiners, or rock bass.A particularly insidious form of lake pollution is lead to lost tackle. Practice lead-free fishing, and avoid making the wildlife sick. Loons, grebes, ducks, and bald eagles are particularly vulnerable. Practice Green Boating Motorboat activities can be disruptive to a lake’s health in many ways. Avoid these issues by choosing human-powered options: canoe, kayak, sailboat, or stand-up paddleboard.If you are using a motorboat, favor four-stroke engines over two-stroke ones. They have better fuel economy, fewer emissions, and are quieter. They also do not release unburned fuel into the water, which two-strokes do.Mind your wake. Slow down when you are near shore, as the wave action created by boats can increase shore erosion, releasing sediment, and damage shoreline vegetation. Controlling Waste Water Follow existing local ordinances for your septic systems. Regulations specify a minimum distance between the lake shore and your septic system. In addition, regular inspections and maintenance will ensure it functions properly. Leaky septic systems are a major source of nutrient pollution.Mind the products that end up in your septic tank – one of the main issues is the algae-feeding phosphate in soaps. Laundry detergent is now largely phosphate-free in the United States, but many dish-washing soap brands still contain it.However tempting it is, avoid washing in the lake. Shampoos and soaps contain chemicals that are not friendly to aquatic ecosystems, despite the â€Å"biodegradable† or â€Å"all natural† labels on the bottle. Going the Extra Mile Join your lake association and be a voice for conservation. When issues arise, research them and promote environmentally sound solutions. In the United States, state departments of natural resources usually have limnologists (lake scientists) who can answer your questions. In addition, many state universities have cooperative extension services which may be able to help you.Be involved with your regional land trust. They may be able to help you protect pieces of shoreline property that are key to the health of a lake.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Understanding Split Infinitives in English Grammar

Understanding Split Infinitives in English Grammar In English grammar, a split infinitive is a construction in which one or more words come between the infinitive marker to and the verb (as in to really try  my best). Also called a cleft infinitive. A   split infinitive  is sometimes regarded as a type of tmesis. I think the evidence is conclusive enough, says editor Norman Lewis: it is perfectly correct to consciously split an infinitive whenever such an act increases the strength or clarity of your sentence (Word Power Made Easy, 1991). Examples and Observations Here are some examples of split infinitives, and descriptions of the term and its uses from other texts to help you better understand their function: To deliberately split an infinitive, puristic teaching to the contrary notwithstanding, is correct and acceptable English.(Norman Lewis, How to Speak Better English. Thomas Y. Crowell, 1948I was wise enough to never grow up while fooling most people into believing I had.(attributed to Margaret Mead)Hamilton from boyhood on was an overachiever, one who found it necessary to more than compensate for his feelings of inadequacy.(Peter R. Henriques, Realistic Visionary. University of Virginia Press, 2006)Her first class wasnt until the afternoon. That would give her time to quickly head to the house, then come back and grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria.(Kayla Perrin, The Delta Sisters. St. Martins Press, 2004It seemed that he had caught [the fish] himself, years ago, when he was quite a lad; not by any art or skill, but by that unaccountable luck that appears to always wait upon a boy when he plays the wag from school.(Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat, 1889Milton was too busy to mu ch miss his wife.(Samuel Johnson, Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, 1779-1781 News of the government’s plan to on average halve pay for the top 25 employees of firms that took two bailouts ricocheted down Wall Street on Wednesday.(Eric Dash, A New Challenge for 2 Ailing Banks. The New York Times, Oct. 21, 2009The phrase to solemnly swear is at best an explication of what is implied in the idea of swearing, at worst a pleonasm.(Peter Fenves, Arresting Language: From Leibniz to Benjamin. Stanford University Press, 2001 A 19th-Century Proscription Hostility to the practice of splitting infinitives developed in the nineteenth century. A magazine article dating from 1834 may well be the first published condemnation of it. A large number of similar prohibitions followed. The first to call it a split infinitive was a contributor to the magazine Academy in 1897. (Henry Hitchings, The Language Wars. John Murray, 2011) A False Analogy With Latin The only rationale for condemning the [split infinitive] construction is based on a false analogy with Latin. The thinking is that because the Latin infinitive is a single word, the equivalent English construction should be treated as if it were a single unit. But English is not Latin, and distinguished writers have split infinitives without giving it a thought. Noteworthy splitters include John Donne, Daniel Defoe, George Eliot, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, William Wordsworth, and Willa Cather. Still, those who dislike the construction can usually avoid it without difficulty. (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, 2000)The split-infinitive rule may represent mindless prescriptivisms greatest height. It was foreign. (It was almost certainly based on the inability to split infinitives in Latin and Greek, since they consist of one word only.) It had been routinely violated by the great writers in English; one 1931 study found split infinitives in English literature from every century, beginning with the fourteenth-century epic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight . . .. (Robert Lane Greene, You Are What You Speak. Delacorte, 2011) Clarity and Style In fact, an unsplit infinitive may be less clear than a split one, as in He decided to go boldly to confront his tormentor, where it is unclear whether boldly is attached to go or confront or perhaps both. (Jean Aitchison, The Language Web: The Power and Problem of Words. Cambridge University Press, 1997)The condemnation of  the split infinitive  seems so devoid of adequate justification that, personally, I am accustomed to look upon it as merely idiosyncratic. The use of the idiom can be defended on various grounds, not the least substantial of which is the need of allowing language that freedom from purely artificial restraints which it continually and successfully claims. . . . Adverbs of one or two syllables readily adhere to the verb as prefixes, and thus disguise their reprobate individualities. But it is generally assumed that there is no glue strong enough to make such processional words as circumstantially, extraordinarily, disproportionately, and the like,  stick wit hin  the split infinitive,  and therefore they must  be trailed after  verbs like cartloads of bricks. The majority of the adverbs in common use, however, do not attain such unwieldy dimensions, and  may  well be admitted within  the split infinitive,  especially if  clarity  of apprehension is promoted  thereby. And  surely the idiom is not to be pilloried if it serves to make the sentence more harmonious- as, for instance, in He decided to rapidly march on the town, where to march rapidly is certainly less pleasing to the ear. From such considerations as these I therefore infer that  the split infinitive  does not merit the censure which critics frequently bestow on it.   (J. Dormer, Split Infinitive. Notes and Queries, January 21, 1905) The Lighter Side of Split Infinitives Would you convey my compliments to the purist who reads your proofs and tell him or her that I write in a sort of patois which is something like the way a Swiss waiter talks, and that when I split an infinitive, God damn it, I split it so it will stay split.(Raymond Chandler, letter to Edward Weeks, Jan. 18, 1947. Quoted by F. MacShane in Life of Raymond Chandler, 1976)