Experts offer conservation tips for lakeshore residents

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - It could be the last weekend of good weather which means its time to bring in the docks and get seasonal camps ready for hibernation.

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is asking residents on the shore to skip the bubbler this winter.

They recommend removing docks or letting them freeze in place because aerators or other de-icers can harm the health and safety of lakes in the winter.

Residents who plan to use ice-prevention devices on docks need a permit .

The season of lawn mowing is over but for people living lakeside, conservationists say to watch your yard work.

A collaborative including the Lake Champlain Basin Program is asking Vermont shore-dwellers to take certain steps to protect the state's waterways.

They recommend practices like raising the blade, which means only mowing when the grass is three inches or longer, and leaving the clippings to decompose

They also ask that people only fertilize once a year, preferably fall, and use a phosphorus-free fertilizer.