NPS Photo Gallery

Lakes like less lawn.  This lawn provides no protection to the lake.

This prefectly green lawn indicates use of fertilizers and pesticides, which can be washed into the lake.  Also, there is no buffer present.

Note this driveway - funnels stormwater and any hitchhiking pollutants right to the lake.

Paved lot.  Greater amounts of impervious surface area result in more and faster runoff.

Unstable shoreline access sites can also lead to water pollution.

Plume of eroded soil entering the water at a boat ramp.

Exposed soil carried by stormwater runoff into a storm drain and then directly to the neighborhood stream.

Spills from refueling watercrafts also contributes to water pollution.

Dirt road located too close to the water and there's no ditch.

Uncovered sand/salt storage piles can lead to both ground water and surface water pollution.

Grader blade ditches are unstable and should not be used. 

Improper ditch maintenance leads to soil erosion and water pollution. 

Poorly shaped and sited road ditches contribute to soil erosion and water pollution.

Undersized culvert resulted in water overtopping and eroding the driveway. 

Soil erosion exposed the plant's roots along a roadway.

Exposed soil eroding away from a construction site.

This construction site has a large area of exposed soil, lacks a silt fence, and not enough hay bales in the ditch next to the site to prevent soil erosion.

Crop fields lose huge amounts of valuable topsoil each year, especially those plowed in the fall.  Soil runs off with spring snowmelt.

This field has been planted in rows that run up and down the hill. This allows water to run directly down the hill, eroding soil along the water.  Crops should be planted to match the contour of the land.

Forest harvest activities and vegetation or root removal results in increased erosion rates.

Poorly constructed temporary bridges across streams in logging areas can result in increased bank erosion.

Culvert clogged with eroded soil.

Stream clogged with sediment - where are the fish supposed to live?

Important stream bottom habitat lost to soil deposition.

Algal bloom caused by the presence of excess nutrients.

Culvert stabilized with armory and silt fence in place to catch eroding soil, plus, erosion control blankets.

Silt fences and hay bales allow water to pass through their fine mesh while catching sediment that may erode from a construction site.

Sometimes rip rap is necessary to stabilize a shoreline, but vegetation should be planted or encouraged to grow in between the rocks.

A vegetated buffer filters nutrients, slows rain so it has less impact when it hits the soil, and shades the waterbody.  Shown is an example of a natural buffer. 

A buffer can be landscaped so it does not block the lake view, but is still effective in filtering nutrients and  preventing erosion.

A vegetated buffer with a mulched, winding path leading to the water.  Path controls foot traffic and prevents direct discharge of stormwater to the water body.

Well designed camp road, winding up the hill.  The road does not direct runoff straight towards the water.

A well stabilized ditch (here, with rip rap and vegetation growing between the rocks) prevents soil erosion.

A diversion (shallow narrow ditch angled down hill across the driveway) redirects water into the woods rather than down the drive into the lake.

A rubber razor bar (flap of rubber supported by 2x4's on either side inserted into the ground so the rubber sticks up) also works well to divert water towards the woods.

On steep hills, ditch turnouts are often used to direct water towards the woods.  Water gains speed traveling downhill and fast moving erodes soil more quickly.

Mulch protects soil from rain drop impact  and helps to keep soil in place.

A well constructed temporary bridge used in a winter logging operation results in little stream bank erosion.  When it was removed, you couldn't tell there was ever a bridge at the site.