Clearing vegetation on your waterfront lot to the shoreline provides a clear pathway into the lake for fertilizer, sediment and other “food” milfoil thrives on.
You can stop feeding the weeds in this manner by maintaining the natural vegetation along the shoreline or restoring shorelines to their natural condition.
If your shoreline lacks a natural barrier that filters weed feeding nutrients before they get into the water, please restore your shoreline by planting native species like Red Osier Dogwood, Pussy Willow, Sweet Gale and Blue Flag iris.
For more information, see the Ottawa Riverkeeper guide: Shoreline Naturalization