Fall is here! And with this change in season comes cooler temperatures, shorter days, and lots of yard work to tackle. When crossing off your to-do-list this fall, it’s important to remember that yard debris is a significant source of stormwater pollution.
Organic plant material like grass clippings, leaves, and shrubbery trimmings can carry pesticides and fertilizers from your yard and deposit them in local waterways. Piles of leaves and grass clippings will overload a stream’s ability to process leaf litter, causing nutrient pollution and oxygen depletion.
Yard debris can also clog culverts, storm drains and pipes causing flooding.
Luckily, there are some easy steps that you can take on your property to reduce pollution and improve water quality!
- Do not pile leaves or other yard waste near streams or drainage areas where they can blow or wash into creeks. Use designated leaf collection bags for curbside leaf recycling with your private hauler or participate in East Rockhill Township leaf collection program.
- Do not blow leaves or grass clippings off of your property into streets, streams, ponds or drainage swales.
- Recycle grass clippings and their nutrients by mulching them and leaves into your lawn or piling them in your garden beds. They will add nutrients back into your lawn and provide shelter for wildlife during the winter.
- Plant a native tree! Trees provide vital habitat for wildlife and absorb more stormwater than your lawn does.
Source: Perkiomen Watershed
