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Help Preserve Our Community-
Discover Ways to Help Prevent Pollution
& Flooding from Stormwater Runoff
Stormwater Commercial - Click image to view.
Download your FREE Copy today!
Tips on what YOU can do to improve
the quality of ground water, rivers,
bays, and estuaries!
Stormwater Trivia
Q:
What ways can you help minimize pollution from stormwater runoff?
- Plant trees, shrubs, and groundcover. They will absorb up to fourteen times more rainwater than a grass lawn and they don't require fertilizer.
- Use natural alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
- Pick up after your pets.
- Wash your car at a car wash that is connected to sanitary sewer lines.
- All of the above.
A:
Rain washes through our cities mobilizing all that it touches and brings pollution to our rivers and bay. Remember only rain down the storm drain.
Do your part: Next time you go for a walk take a bag along with you and pick up any litter you see along the way. Every little bit counts.
Highlights from Greener by the Yard
Page 6:
The general rule for pollution prevention...
stop man-made chemicals or eroded soil from entering storm drains or other drainage ways. Proper storage, use, and disposal of fertilizer, prevention of soil
erosion, and proper disposal of pet wastes from driveways and walkways will
minimize the amount of pollution in runoff.
Page 8:
What to do with Hazardous Waste...
• Automotive-Related Materials
Take to a local recycling center or an auto service station.
• Pesticides
Follow label instructions for disposal. Amounts less than one quart should be
wrapped in several layers of paper, tied securely and added to home refuse. For larger amounts, pour the pesticide into an absorbent material (such as sawdust, kitty litter, or clay soil), shovel it into a plastic bag, and place it in a trash container. Never rinse or flush waste pesticide down a drain or toilet.
• Aerosol Cans
Never discard when under pressure. Spray the contents until pressure is released, and then discard with household refuse.
• Paint
Small amounts of latex paint should be evaporated until dry,
and then discarded with household wastes. Oil paints should be taken to a recycling center.
• Swimming Pool Chemicals
Swimming pools require large amounts of chlorine and other chemicals. When drainage is necessary, pour the water slowly onto a large expanse of lawn. Never drain directly into a waterway or street.
• Fertilizers
To dispose of excess fertilizer if not saved and applied to lawn, wrap in newspaper and then in plastic before adding to home refuse.
Page 17:
Plant Your own Backyard Habitat!
It makes perfectly good sense to allow at least a small portion of your yard to be 
"wild" or "natural". Landscape architects often incorporate such areas within their garden plans - not only for contrast, but to provide a site for local and migratory birds and animals. It is particularly important to leave a vegetation buffer along stream banks and shorelines to avoid excessive runoff and erosion. See the plant list in the Appendix (download the book, by clicking on the icon above) for a recommended list of native plants for landscaping.
About this Project
A clean environment is important to us. We all value clean water and the aesthetic, health, recreational and economic benefits it provides. Unfortunately, it is these very uses that affect water quality. There are a number of simple practices each of us can adopt to improve the quality of our ground water, rivers, bays, and estuaries. Individually, the contribution of these practices may seem small, yet, if enough people take these steps, the effect can be significant.
The Weeks Bay Watershed Project; Weeks Bay Reserve, a partnership between the Alabama Department and Natural Resources-Lands Division and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Gulf of Mexico Alliance; Gulf Coast Resource, Conservation and Development; Baldwin County; Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab are developing a unique watershed education program. The project involves the creation of an animated educational message that will be broadcast to moviegoers in Baldwin County.This is an initial activity for the project to help raise awareness on how to improve our local waterways. For more information feel free to contact Michael Shelton from the Weeks Bay Reserve, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands.
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