What do I do about silt runoff from a construction project into my lake or pond?

Construction projects often have strict regulations about best management practices to implement so that soil is not lost from erosion from a site.  The first call may be to the local issuing authority, usually your city or county, to check for a land disturbance permit number.  If one has been issued, then there should be a set of plans that the inspector can check for compliance.  If not, then the inspector may need to see if one was required before construction began.  Preventing erosion is often the best practice but in most cases it is out of your control.  Once sediment is in the stream silt traps may be an option to capture a portion of the sediment.  A pre-construction survey of the lake sediment may be helpful in determining how much silt is being deposited over a period of time.  EPD is the next call to file a complaint if the erosion is not eliminated and the permit is followed.  The last result may be a consultant and/or lawyer to determine the best remedy.  Dredging is often the solution to cleaning out the sediment from the lake or pond once it has been deposited.