LEARNING & EXPLORING
RiverSmart Household Program
~ Eight Great Backyard Tips ~
A guide to keeping your streams, rivers
and
forests
clean and green.
It all runs to the river.
Even if you live miles from the river, every backyard stream, ditch and drainage in the watershed runs to it. Making the extra effort to reduce chemical and nutrient applications, prevent soil erosion and maintain wildlife friendly backyards helps the downstream plants and wildlife. Here are some specific tips every household can use:
1. Reduce your use.
Reduce, or better yet, eliminate lawn and garden chemicals. Who needs a lawn on steroids? Not the River! Organic lawn care is a better alternative to herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Use organic methods and make your lawn naturally healthy and green.
2. Give the river room!
Maintaining a natural buffer of native plants near the river, streams and ponds filters pollution. Planting native vegetation or just letting it grow wild is good for wildlife and water quality.
3. Use your brain, not the drain.
Dispose of chemicals and oils properly. Take advantage of local household hazardous waste disposal days – DON’T dump waste down a drain where it can be carried into a stream or drinking water supply. Drips and leaks from
engines and equipment take their toll too!
4. Let it soak.
Water that runs off pavement, roofs and other hard surfaces carries pollutants into the river, wherever you live. Take a walk in the rain to see where your rainwater is going. Look for ways to encourage rain to soak in on your property. Gravel driveways, pervious paving bricks, and vegetation instead of erodible bare ground or concrete and pavement are a good start.
5. Pump the poo.
When it comes to septic systems out-of-sight does not mean out-of-River! Have your septic system inspected and pumped every three years or on a schedule recommended by your septic service provider. Septic systems require regular maintenance or they will begin to fail, polluting our waters with nutrients and harmful bacteria and chemicals.
6. Go Native!
Landscaping with native plants is not only patriotic but promotes local diversity. Plus, native plants grow well in their home territory. Non-native invasive plants crowd out native vegetation and are spread by birds and other animals. So PLEASE – don’t be nice to non-native invasive plants!
7. Kill the Creep.
Does your lawn keep getting bigger? Is your yard creeping closer to the stream or river? Define your “no mow” zone and don’t let that yard grow larger by the year.
8. Know your zoning regs!
Are you in one of the new Riparian Protection Zones or Districts? Link to maps and regs at EightmileRiver.org/zone or call your local land use office at Town Hall for more info.
Pledge to be RiverSmart. Take the easy online pledge and join your neighbors in protecting your local streams and rivers.