Photo by Lisa Dorn

THE ASSOCIATION HAS A GOAL TO INCREASE THE DEER LAKE WATER CLARITY BY 3 FEET IN THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS. TODAY'S CLARITY IS 15 FEET.

MAKE THE 3 IN 20 PROGRAM PART OF YOUR LAKE LIFESTYLE AND HELP PRESERVE AND IMPROVE OUR LAKE'S PRECIOUS WATER QUALITY FOR YOURSELVES AND THE GENERATIONS THAT FOLLOW US.

WE CAN GET THE 3 FEET ADDED WATER CLARITY INCREASE BY CUTTING THE PHOSPHORUS LEVEL IN THE WATER FROM 7 PARTS PER BILLION (PPB) TO 5 PPB.

HOW DO WE DO IT? BY REDUCING THE DISSOLVED PHOSPHORUS LEVEL IN THE WATER. PHOSPHORUS ENCOURAGES ALGAE GROWTH. TOO MUCH ALGAE MAKES CLOUDY, GREEN WATER.ONCE IT'S IN THE WATER, PHOSPHORUS DOESN'T COME OUT UNLESS WEEDS ARE HARVESTED! THE LEVEL WILL BUILD AND BUILD AND THE WATER WILL SLOWLY BECOME LESS CLEAR.

HOW DOES PHOSPHORUS GET INTO THE LAKE?
   RUNOFF
   FAULTY SEPTIC SYSTEMS
   SEPTIC SYSTEMS PUSHED BEYOND CAPACITY
   LAWN FERTILIZERS WITH PHOSPHORUS
   LAWN CLIPPINGS

THERE ARE 4 THINGS WE ALL CAN DO TO HELP REDUCE PHOSPHORUS ENTERING DEER LAKE
  MAKE SURE YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM AND DRAIN FIELD IS UP TO CODE.
  PUMP OUT YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS
  USE A PHOSPHORUS-FREE DISHWASHING DETERGENT
  KEEP THE REDDS AND WEEDS ON YOUR SHORELINE TO REDUCE EROSION AND SURFACE WATER RUNOFF

THERE IS A PROPERTY VALUE AS WELL AS A QUALITY OF LIFE INCENTIVE FOR ALL OF US TO PRESERVE & IMPROVE OUR WATER QUALITY. A RECENT STUDY BY BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY SHOWED A REDUCTION IN WATER CLARITY OF 3 FEET IN LEECH LAKE REDUCED SHORELINE VALUES BY $594 PER FRONT FOOT!

To help achieve the 3-in-20 goals, a Brainerd company, A.W. Research Laboratories, has been hired by the Deer Lake Endowment & Preservation Committee (DELEAP) to fly over Deer Lake and survey the water quality. The company's highly sophisticated, state-of-the-art aircraft-mounted thermal and wavelength imaging equipment will establish which areas of the lake, if any, show signs of runoff, have abnormally high phosphorus concentrations and septic system leakage.

One flyover took place August 26, 2005. Another will occur late this fall. The company will then subject this data to complex analysis. Each property owner will receive a notice and confidential report on their shoreline. No one else will receive this information.