Albert Lea’s lakes have been in the news for years now. Concerned citizens across the political spectrum have been working to clean them up, and that has meant hours upon hours of meetings, constant debating and the slow crafting of a plan to repair the damage done to the watershed over the last century.

With such a big issue, it may be hard to see what one person can do to make a difference.

Well, there’s at least one thing people can avoid doing that could have an impact on the lake: Not letting contaminants or debris go down the storm drains in the street. These drains basically lead right into the lakes.

Unfortunately, some people see these drains as a convenient way to get rid of everything from gasoline and motor oil to grass clippings. Others just don’t realize that if they push or blow clippings into the street or spill antifreeze on the driveway that it’s probably going to be washed into the drains and then into the lakes.

Grass clippings or other natural substances may seem harmless, but organic compounds can contribute to out-of-balance chemical levels in the water and hinder lake improvement efforts.

An effort is underway to label each of the 4,000 storm drains in town with a reminder that they are portals into Albert Lea’s lakes. It may take a while, since funding will be a question.

In the meantime, everyone can do their part for lake improvement by remembering that when something goes down the drain, it’s going to end up in a place it might not belong.