Action needed as Raleigh's water supply degrades

Today's News & Observer has an important story by Jim Wise about how the quality of Falls Lake -- Raleigh's main water supply -- is suffering while officials with the power to do something are failing to act:

July 1 was the deadline for the N.C. Division of Water Quality to have a cleanup plan for Falls Lake. They're still working on it.

The Neuse River Foundation is sponsoring an online letter-writing campaign encouraging lawmakers to take action to clean up the lake ASAP. And freshman state Sen. Josh Stein (D-Wake) has introduced legislation encouraging local governments to step up efforts to protect the lake.

In the meantime, there's a simple step that people can take to help curb the pollution in Falls Lake as well as other water bodies: Use caution when treating lawns and gardens with fertilizers, which lead to the algae overgrowth that's damaging the lake. For more information on proper application of fertilizers, click here for a guide from N.C. State University.

(Photo of Falls Lake in winter by Sue Sturgis)