It’s fall and that means we get to enjoy burning red and orange leaves igniting trees all over Eau Claire. However, while pretty on the trees, these leaves are now ending up all over our lawns and parks in massive piles, causing a lot of trouble. Locals are in a fix when it comes to disposing their leaves as there is no municipal facility in Eau Claire County that accepts yard waste materials such as leaves. Instead, a directory has been put together consisting of businesses and homeowners who accept leaves, grass, pine needles, etc. However, this is hardly convenient. This leaf disposal problem is a big deal. Remember all those stanky lakes we had this summer? Leaves are partially to blame. When leaves sit in our yards, wind and rain carry them into our lakes, or into storm sewers which then end up in our lakes. Leaves ooze phosphorus and other plant nutrients that feed lake weeds and algae which turn our lakes green and stinky in the summer time. We have a whole lot of leaves here in the Chippewa Valley and so it is vital that we put our leaves away. A simple solution with great rewards is composting. Just digging about a foot or so in your garden and burying leaves there with about an inch of dirt to cover them is all it takes. Composting reduces algae in our lakes and the amount of waste filling up landfills. Plus it improves soil structure, texture, aeration and increases the soil’s water-holding capacity. If you don’t already, its time to start composting your leaves and get a nice workout doing it!