use roundup near a lake?

We live across the street from a lake and have lots of heavy duty weeds in our front area. I was thinking of using Roundup on them but it concerns me being so close to the lake and the possibility of runoff causing some harm. Does anyone have experience with this and an alternative if necessary?

Roundup or the generac counterpart Cornerstone (much cheaper and just as effective) are mild herbicides that dont migrate much. This is pretty much proven by looking at the band you spray it stays just as straight as you can spray it without leaching to the sides and killing anything you don't hit with the spray. So unless you have a free flowing ditch in front leading directly to the lake and dump the whole bottle you won,t have a problem.Ernie

Unfortunantly the weeds are actually growing in the drainage ditch that leads to the lake. Wouldn't that just figure?
So looks like I need an alternative. There's a lot of them and I can't use a string trimmer because there are tons of rocks used as a stream bed as it were.
Last year I pulled them by hand but this year it's pretty far gone. See where laziness will get you?

Can you cover the ditch with black plastic for a week or two.If the water is not flowing I would spray it anyway after all you can plant food in the same area as sprayed a few days after spraying. If you are still having problems with this an alternative may be just spray it with the cheapest white vinegar you can buy. Use it undiluted it will kill lots of weeds.Ernie

Both good ideas. I have tried vinegar before and got mixed results, but a combination of both ideas might do the trick. I will try it.

You might also watch the weather report for our next big high pressure system that is forcast to bring a week of sunny days. We're due for one or two more. This is probably the best time of year to be able to find a time when you can ensure no immediate runoff for spraying.

Nice tomatoes, Eweed!

I heard the vinegar is best used on hot sunny days; absorbed better or something. I've used it with success.

Whatever you choose, make sure to use a surfectant like soap - add about 2 Tbsp of liquid dishsoap for each gallon of water. The soap helps the round-up or vinegar stick to the leaves. Otherwise, much of the solution runs off which is counter-productive.

Too funny,
I came home today and my husband was out there with the string trimmer cutting down the weeds. He's never even picked up the trimmer before so it must have been a Road to Damascus moment on his way home from work.
Problem solved!

What a nice surprise!

Boy was it.
I was driving home from the store and he had come home early. At first I thought "who is that guy in my front yard!"
I was so surprised I drove past the house!

try buying him a john deere riding lawn tractor with loader and tiller and you will never have to mow again and you will get tons of new flower beds to plant in lol. Ernie

eweed,
don't think he hasn't been hinting. And I'm inclined to say yes. Do they come with cup holders?

ha ha yes mine did.

Don't know, but I bet you'd find one that attaches!

Then there might be a tussle as to who gets to use the mower. Add a mister for hot days and it's mine.