08/30/2000 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Worried about clean water? You should be — because . you are part of the problem, and you can be part of the cure. Homeowners can'help clean up our local lakes, wetlands, and streams without leaving their yards. You ,can follow lawn care and landscaping practices that are good for water quality. One goal is to keep al 'much water as possible on your yard, allowing it to soak into the soil instead of flowing to a nearby storm drain or water body. Another goal is to reduce pollutants and nutrients being carried by rain water to local water bodies. It's all that water running off our yards, driveways, and streets that is causing the problem for those local water bodies we'd like to enjoy. Historically on undevel- oped land, eighty percent of the rain water that hit the ground evaporated from trees and plants — it did not even run off the land. About twenty percent of rain water or snow melt ended up soaking into the ground or flowing off the land to a nearby water body. Today water . falling on impervious surfaces — roofs, roads, driveways, parking lots —flows quickly into a nearby storm drain or directly to a water body. Research shows that over twenty to thirty percent impervious surfaces in the watershed leads to degrada- tion of streams, where stream quality consistently shifts to a poor condition. The pollution that is carried in rain runoff or snow melt is called nonpoint source pollution. These pollutants come from a variety of sources and can not be eliminated by laws and regulations. Remember, water entering storm drains flows directly to a local water body and is not treated in any way. Only individuals can reduce and prevent nonpoint source pollution, one lot at a time. Keep water on your lawn Some ideas are very simple. • Divert your downspout so that water flows on your yard and not down your driveway. ' • Plant native plants. They have deep roots that create pathways for water to soak into the ground Some ideas take some more energy and time: • ' Increase the amount of naturalized area in your yard and decrease the amount of lawn. • Use organic mulches, shredded wood or compost for flower beds, shrubs, and trees. • Add swales and rainwater gardens to capture water on your land. Keep pollutants out of storm drains and water bodies Some ideas are very simple: • Keep fertilizer, grass clippings, and leaves off drive- ways and streets. • Use low (3 or under) or zero phosphorus fertilizer on established lawns - phosphorus is the middle number on a bag of fertilizer. • Don't dump anything down a storm drain — it flows directly to a local water body. • Wash your car on the lawn to keep detergents and oils from being carried down your driveway to a storm drain. • Clean up after your pet. Pet waste can contain . harmful bacteria and nutrients. Some ideas take some more energy and time: ■ Test your soil to find out what nutrients you need. Most established lawns in Dakota County are high or very high in phosphorus already. • Provide 15' to 25' wide buffer strips of unmowed grass or plantings along water bodies. Want to know more? • INFO -U, 612- 624 -2200: University of Minnesota Extension Service fact sheets on lawn care and land- scaping topics. • University of Minnesota Extension Service "Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series:" http://www.sustland.umn.edu. • Dakota County Extension Service, 651 - 480 -770. packet of information on soil testing and lawn care practices the protect water quality. • Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District, 651 -480 -7777: Information on buffers and landscap- ing practices that retain water on the land. • University of Minnesota Book Store, 800 -657 -3757: Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality, by ' Carrol Henderson, Carolyn Dindorf, and Fred Rozumalski. Hundreds of volunteers of all ages are needed to help restore native habitat in a special section of the Mississippi River valley in Dakota County on Saturday May 20. Volunteers will plant native trees and shrubs and remove exotic species. This is a great outdoor event for individuals, families and groups. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. with plant - ing and restoration occurring until 12:00. Refreshments and celebration will follow. All you need to bring is • shovel and lots of energy! This project is part of the Big Rivers Partnership program and is being sponsored by Friends of the Mississippi and Great River Greening. Contact Great River Greening for more information or to volunteer at 651 -665 -9500 ext. 2.