By Vera Pappas
Storm Water Run-off is a problem in every section of the United States. Some areas of course are worse than others. Every time it rains there are massive amounts of chemicals, oils, heavy metals running off our roof, through our grass and flower beds, down our driveways and into our storm drains which leads out to our natural waterways, and streams which lead to lakes and rivers.
If our ground cannot absorb the water efficiently and effectively and perk back down into our underground water supply it ends up in the storm drain. The chemicals, oils, voc's, etc. break down the beneficial bacteria and micro-organisms that keep our lakes and streams healthy. What we end up with is an over abundance of algae which believe it or not is harmful to our eco-system. It cuts down on the oxygen levels in the water and the beneficial bacteria cannot do its job to keep the water clean and healthy for fish and fowl.
This is not something the average American sees everyday. We don't think about where the water goes when its rushing down the street and into the storm drains. For us...it stops there. But it is actually just beginning.
We can make a difference one yard at a time. If every homeowner made simple changes, we could save our lakes, streams and rivers. Our eco-system depends on it. Not only does storm water run-off affect fish, it affects water fowl, birds, and all the animals that eat the fish, and drink from the lakes, streams and rivers.
There are many ways to reduce the amount of water that runs from your property into the storm drain:
Install Rain Barrels -Thousands of gallons of water can be captured off the average roof each year, and clean rainwater is better for plants, shrubs and lawn, washing the car, the dog etc.
Go Organic!- The use of traditional chemicals to feed your lawn and garden leach into the water every time it rains. Chemical fertilizers and controls do the most damage. Organic fertilizers and control products do not leave residual effects in the soil. Organic products come from the earth. They will not damage it.
Use Native Plants- Native plants are plants that are naturally indigenous to your specific area. You can get a list of native plants for your area by doing a web search. They are usually put out by the state. Native plants will grow better, require less water and fertilizer (organic of course), and they provide a natural habitat for our wild creatures.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Add rain gardens and green roofs to your storm water control efforts.
What surprises me is how little storm water agencies have put out the actual costs to us for storm water clean up. With the costs explicit, you could get utility credits for buying a rain barrel, planting a rain garden, diverting your downspots to your lawn etc...
We need to redesign our cities so rain gardens are on every yard, and the streets are not designed to carry water away as fast as possible.
That means ripping up pavement and creating places for water to spread, soak and seep into the ground.
There are variety of native plants to choose for wet areas and dry areas of your garden. Good to learn what goes where, to plan to have the natives that tolerate wetter areas at teh bottom of a rain garden.
Thanks for your posting. Still waiting for someone to design a rain barrel people WANT to have in their driveway. It would be cool to design them the way wine bottles are designed.
best fishes,
Timothy Colman
Might want to check out the rain barrel planter that is offered at www.aquabarrel.com
Post a Comment