As Alaskans from all over come to Big Lake on summer weekends, the amount of gas and oil in our lake increases to a dangerous level for fish and other water creatures. Boaters can take some simple, helpful actions to decrease that pollution, such as:
• Keep absorbent pads on board to collect small drips or spills when fueling/adding oil;
• Fuel slowly on land before launching; always use absorbent around the nozzle to absorb excess fuel;
• Don't drain bilge in the lake or on the launch ramp; make sure there's some vegetation between you and the lake before draining your boat. Use pillows to absorb oil/gas in the bilge.
Volunteers working through Cook Inletkeeper and Mat-Su Conservation Services will hand out free clean boating kits at public boat launches in Big Lake this summer, with simple tips and tools to help you do your part to keep fuel and oil out of Big Lake, for our own health and enjoyment as well as a healthy environment for our fish and other water creatures!
— Randi Perlman
Big Lake