Spring weather can make a mess of your yard and our local waterways. Below you will find tips for getting your landscape back in shape and keeping our water clean.
Avoid putting any permanent structures in flood prone areas of your yard and try to keep those areas clear during the spring. Melting snow and spring storms can create standing water and voluntary streams that wash loose dirt and debris out of your yard and into the storm sewers where they are carried to nearby lakes, rivers and streams.
Stabilize your soil and increase infiltration by planting deep-rooted native plants or trees. The roots of turf grass extend only two to three inches into the soil, giving it little ability to hang on when the water flows. Native flowers and grasses, on the other hand, can have root systems four to twelve feet deep! These deep roots anchor the plants and keep soil from washing away. They also increase the amount of water the soil can absorb, meaning that more water sinks in to recharge groundwater supplies and less ends up in the storm drain.
If you live along a lake, river, stream or wetland, it is important to maintain a healthy un-mowed buffer along your shoreline. A shoreline planted in trees and native plants will hold the soil steady when it rains. Buffers also catch and filter many of the pollutants found in melting snow and stormwater runoff.
Take a moment to clean the gutters on your roof and street. Make sure that sand, dirt, leaves and branches stay out of the storm sewers, where they can be carried to nearby water bodies. Blocked gutters can also cause flooding in your yard and street.
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