Yard Tips

Landscaping

  • When landscaping your yard, select plants that have low requirements for water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
  • Cultivate plants that discourage pests. Minimize grassed areas which require high maintenance.
  • Preserve existing trees, and plant trees and shrubs to help prevent erosion and promote infiltration of water into the soil.
  • Use landscaping techniques such as grass swales (low areas in the lawn) or porous walkways to increase infiltration and decrease runoff.
  • Install wood decking or bricks or interlocking stones instead of impervious cement walkways.
  • Install gravel trenches along driveways or patios to collect water and allow it to filter into the ground.
  • Restore bare patches in your lawn as soon as possible to avoid erosion.
  • Grade all areas away from your house at a slope of one percent or more.
  • Leave lawn clippings on your lawn so that nutrients in the clippings are recycled and less yard waste goes to landfills.
  • Compost your yard trimmings. Compost is a valuable soil conditioner which gradually releases nutrients to your lawn and garden. (Using compost will also decrease the amount of fertilizer you need to apply.) In addition, compost retains moisture in the soil and thus helps you conserve water.
  • Keep storm gutters and drains clean of leaves and yard trimmings. (Decomposing vegetative matter leaches nutrients and can clog storm systems and result in flooding.)
  • Spread mulch on bare ground to help prevent erosion and runoff.
 Fertilizers & Pesticides
  • Calibrate your applicator before applying pesticides or fertilizers. As equipment ages, annual adjustments may be needed.Avoid using fertilizers near surface waters.
  •  Use slow- release fertilizers on areas where the potential for water contamination is high, such as sandy soils, steep slopes, compacted soils, and verges of water bodies.
  • Select the proper season to apply fertilizers: Incorrect timing may encourage weeds or stress grasses.
  • Do not apply pesticides or fertilizers before or during rain due to the strong likelihood of runoff.
  • Test your soil before applying fertilizers.
  • If you elect to use a professional lawn care service, select a company that employs trained technicians and follows practices designed to minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

Pet Waste

  • Clean up after your pets. Pet waste contains nutrients and pathogens that can contaminate surface water.
  • Buy chemicals only in the amount you expect to use, and apply them only as directed. More is not better.
  • Take unwanted household chemicals to hazardous waste collection centers; do not pour them down the drain. Pouring chemicals down the drain may disrupt your septic system or else contaminate treatment plant sludge.
  • Never pour unwanted chemicals on the ground. Soil cannot purify most chemicals, and they may eventually contaminate runoff.