Guide to Homeowners Waterfront Living
What You Can Do To Help
You can help Protect, Preserve, and Restore Lake Weir by making some simple changes:
1) Join the Save Lake Weir Association
2) Keep Septic Tanks and Drains Buffered from the Lake
Keep them away from the water’s edge and be sure they are in proper working order. Washing machine and sink grey water should be filtered through a septic system before reaching the lake.
3) Leave the Shoreline Undisturbed
Don’t remove shoreline or shallow vegetation. This important plant life traps and filters any contaminants or harmful nutrients from entering the lake. This plant life is the last line of defense for the lake.
4) Report Violators
Report offenders by calling Chris Haggerty at of Florida Wildlife at (352) 726-8622
5) No Phosphates
Use detergents that do not contain phosphates. Excessive phosphates act as a nutrient, causing too much algae growth in the lake. Algae steals the oxygen, killing the fish and plant life of the lake.
6) Fertilize and Spray Carefully
Toxins and the high load of nutrients found in fertilizers are damaging to the lake. Avoid getting these chemicals in your driveway or on the street, as they add to the storm run-off and end up in the lake.
7) Be careful with Grass and Leaves
Don’t blow or wash yard waste into the street where it could enter the lake, instead bag them or start a mulch pile. Mulch is beneficial to your yard but hurts the lake.
8) Wash Your Car on The Grass
Run-off from washing your car in the driveway or the street makes its way into the lake and damages it.
9) Don’t Litter
Wrappers, cans, and bottles pollute the lake, become hazards for boaters, and depreciate the aesthetic of the lake.
10) Be a Responsible Boater
Restrict high speed boating to deeper waters and be mindful that the oil, gasoline, and trash that you allow into the water damages the lake.
11) Clean Up After Your Pets
Pet droppings harm the lake, so please be sure to properly dispose of your pet’s droppings. Don’t bathe your pet in the lake, as detergents harm the lake.
Invasive Species - Nutria
There have been at least two confirmed sightings of Nutria in Lake Weir. Nutria, also known as River Rats, when observed from a distance, may be confused with the lake’s resident Otters. Nutria however have a skinny pointed tail, unlike the Otter’s tail which is fatter and flat. Nutria are an invasive species and cause widespread damage to vegetation and destroy the banks of ditches, lakes and other water bodies. The damage they cause can be permanent. If you see a Nutria please report and/or send pictures to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
