October 7 - 13 has been designated as Stormwater Awareness Week and Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District and communities across central Ohio are urging residents to “Be the Change for Clean Water” and to take action.
Common items that we use in our yards, homes and driveways such as fertilizer, oil, paint, etc. and even our trash can make their way to our streams and rivers by stormwater and pollute our environment and clean drinking water. Franklin County has over 2,940 miles of open drainage including our ditches, streams, and rivers. This open drainage collects water from over 543 square miles of land in Franklin County. Unfortunately, this water also includes pollutants from across the landscape.
During Stormwater Awareness Week, be the change for clean water by taking one or more of the following actions:
- 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.
- Make sure lawns have 3-4 inches of topsoil under the grass. This will reduce runoff, as well as make lawns easier to maintain.
- 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.
- 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 from a property.
- Encourage local businesses to become a Water Quality Partner!
- Do not dump grease, trash, paint, concrete wash, or anything else that is not 100 percent clean water down a storm drain
- Educate, family, friends and co-workers about stormwater pollution
For more information on programs and resources for stormwater education and conservation visit franklinswcd.org and bethechangeforcleanwater.org.
Credit: Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District