Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center

Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center. A Healthy Lake Needs Trees. , Wildlife Habitat- , Lakeside forests offer a mix of habitat that benefits wildlife species. The moist fertile soils support a diversity of beneficial plants that provide food and cover. Mink, otter, deer, bear, songbirds, waterfowl, turtles, raccoons and many other species make use of these menus. , Food for Fish- , A forest canopy swaying over the lake edge adds coarse, woody debris, limbs and leaves as well as an occasional tree trunk or stump. All of this is cover and food sources for fish and other aquatic animals and insects. , Filtering Runoff- , A forest buffer as narrow as 50 feet in width can remove the majority of pollutants from surface and subsurface runoff before it reaches a stream. A tree’s roots absorb excess nutrients-phosphorus and nitrogen, and hold the soil in place, providing a barrier for pesticides, fertilizers and other pollutants that may suffocate lake life. , Canopy and Shade- , Trees provide shade that moderates summer water temperatures so fish and other lake dwellers, like insects, frogs, and salamanders that need cooler water can survive. Fish will seek out shady shorelines to escape the hot and bright sun. , Bank Stabilization- , The broad root systems of trees stabilize lakeshore banks and thereby reduce erosion. Forest buffers along waterways absorb rainfall that carries soil and pollutants many times more that the rate of grass turf and 40 times that of a plowed field.