Stormwater Awareness Week, October 16-22, is an opportunity to remind and educate residents about actions they can take to protect creeks and streams from polluted stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff can push common household items – such as trash, lawn fertilizer, or paint- into local waterways, threatening our environment and clean drinking water. So, Jody Carney, Plain City Mayor, and Broc Sehen, District Technician, teamed up to create short videos for Facebook to share some of the following tips on how to protect the Darby Creek:
- Maintain your vehicles so that it doesn’t drip oil, which can wash into the creek, contaminate the water and harm wildlife.
- Plant native plants that have deep roots, which will help break up clay soil and increase the amount of water remaining on a property while benefiting birds, butterflies and bees.
- Keep your street gutters clear so that leaves won’t go down the drain and overwhelm our creeks (don’t wait for the city to sweep).
- Plant a tree in your yard or install a rain garden. Trees can soak up 900 gallons of rain a year and a well-designed rain garden almost entirely reduce stormwater runoff from a property.
- Pick up trash in your neighborhood or a local park. It can be a family game to see who can fill up a bag first.
- Check the weather report before applying fertilizer to your lawn or any oil or chemicals to driveways and sidewalks. This will protect the environment and your pocketbook.
- If you are a farmer, plant a cover crop after the cash crop is harvested in the fall to protect the soil from rainfall and snowmelt over the winter.
"Stormwater Awareness Week offers residents an opportunity to learn how they can take small actions to make a big impact on protecting drinking water,” said Broc Sehen, District Technician, “While rainwater is great for lawns and gardens, it can be dangerous for streams and rivers.”
The Madison Soil and Water Conservation District is sharing the videos from Plain City on Madison SWCD's Facebook Page. Check them out and share with your friends and family, too!
