Ten things you and your community
can do to protect water resources!

1. Maintain open, forested floodplains. Filling floodplains shortchanges the
    filtering power of natural areas and increases flooding elsewhere.

2. Plant trees and maintain streamside buffers. Streamside trees and native
    vegetation help filter stormwater run-off and help hold streambank soils in
    place.

3. Promote clustering where new development is likely. Clustered
    developments require less pavement for roads and sidewalks and keep
    more of the overall parcel as natural open space.

4. Disconnect your downspout from the street drain. Rainwater from your
    roof is just as damaging to creeks and streams as run-off from a parking
    lot. Let your yard help filter out impurities and infiltrate stormwater back
    into your aquifer.

5. Convert large yards or public spaces from mown grass to meadows. The typical suburban lawn is nearly as impervious as a parking lot! Native meadow grasses infiltrate stormwater better and provide critical habitat for grassland birds.

6. Convert a corner of your yard to a rain garden. A wet area in your yard can be considered a nuisance or an amenity, depending on how you manage it. If it's wet, look for native plants that like “wet feet’ and create a visual focal point.

7. Maintain a naturally vegetated edge between creeks and pastures or
    cultivated fields. A naturally vegetated stream buffer will filter out excess
    fertilizers and pesticides from adjacent farm fields.

8. Cut back on lawn fertilizers and pesticides. Much of the fertilizer you
    apply in the spring flows directly into the local creeks because the grass
    is not ready to absorb it. Set your mower height at 3 inches and use a
    mulching mower to create a healthy, organic lawn. Fertilize only in the
    fall!

9. Pick up after your pets and keep livestock out of streams. Pet and animal wastes carry many harmful bacteria and possible diseases. They make creeks less amenable to native critters and require expensive water treatment for human uses.

10. Keep your paved surfaces at a minimum. Patios and parking spaces      can be created with attractive pervious materials that allow stormwater infiltration to the soils below.