Lake bank renovation under way

Lakewood Ranch residents are being asked to lace up their boots, put on work gloves and head over to Lake Uihlein this Saturday morning.

Starting at 9 a.m., volunteers will begin work to plant Florida friendly landscaping along two sections of the lake behind Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

The landscaped areas will be showcases to the community on how it can use plants to improve water quality and the aesthetics of Lakewood Ranch’s lakes. Fertilizer runoff has been identified as a major contributor to the degradation of water quality.

“This is designed to eliminate the need for fertilizer along the lake bank,” Town Hall Director of Operations Ryan Heise said. “It’s also a buffer for (yard) clippings and a little bit of beautification.”

Two landscaping pallets will be planted — one for common areas and one that could be adopted by homeowner’s associations for residents to use behind their waterfront homes.

“If residents want to participate in maintaining their property values and protecting a community asset, then here’s their opportunity to learn how to do that through gardening,” Heise said.

Master Gardeners will be on hand Saturday to assist and oversee plant installation so no experience is required.

For more information, contact Michelle Atkinson, 722-4524, Ext. 256, or [email protected].

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].