CITY OF MANSFIELD STORM WATER MANAGEMENT
LAWN CARE
What Does Lawn Care Have To Do With Stormwater?
The lawn care practices of local home and business owners are one of the most influential factors of stormwater quality in this area. From the types of plants used, irrigation water, pesticides/herbicides applied and fertilizing. The disposal of wastes from lawns and landscapes also has the potential to affect the quality of stormwater.
What Can I Do To Help Protect Water Quality?
Selecting native and adaptive plants is preferable to using exotic plant species. Native plants are those plants naturally found in the area. Adaptive plants are those plants not naturally found in the area, but are able to thrive given the usual conditions of the area. Exotic plant species typically have greater nutrient and/or water requirements. These species are labor intensive and are more expensive to maintain. For more information, follow the link for Do You SmartScape?
Fertilizing, or more appropriately over-fertilizing, is a serious concern for water quality. When too much fertilizer is applied to a lawn or landscape, much of that fertilizer leaves the area where it was applied and enters our local waterways. This can cause harmful algal blooms, affecting the quality of our water and the ability of the waterways to support aquatic life. For more information about fertilizing, follow the link for Fertilizers.
Pesticides and herbicides are perhaps one of the most important aspects of lawn care that can impact water quality. The differences in characteristics from one product to another make it very difficult to provide a brief description of the impacts and how to reduce those impacts. The biggest problem associated with these products is that they cannot be confined to their application area, and are often transported into local waterways, continuing to be lethal. For more information, follow the link for Pesticides/Herbicides.
Using proper irrigation is becoming a much more critical issue. During the summer, it helps to water lawns in the morning before the sun rises and in the evening after the sun has set. Otherwise, a large portion of the water applied is lost as water vapor. It is also important not to water too often. Most plants have highly developed root systems that respond to water availability. For more information, follow the link for Proper Irrigation.
Wastes from lawns and landscapes can also affect the quality of our local waterways. Grass clippings, leaves, and other organic matter from the maintenance of lawns and landscapes should never be dumped, placed, or blown down storm drains. These items can have the same affect on water quality as fertilizers. The best solution is to compost these items. Allowing grass clippings to stay in place on lawns is also a good solution. Bagging the items for disposal in landfills is better than placing them in the storm drain system, but creates other problems. For more information about how to dispose of your lawn and vegetable wastes and fertilize your lawns or landscapes with the result, follow the link for Composting.
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