The Perfect Landscape
You can create a beautiful outdoor space and protect our waters
A gorgeous home landscape does not need to come at the price of clean lakes, rivers, and streams. We can have both. To make it happen, we all need to think a little differently.
Less hard surfaces
The more concrete or blacktop your property has, the more water will run off the property and into storm drains and ditches. 75% more rain water sinks into the ground in a natural versus developed area. Stormwater that flows from developed areas also carries oil, grease, fertilizer, bacteria, exhaust particles, and more.
Planning for minimal hard surface on your property makes good sense. Consider the amount of runoff that will be generated by roofs, pavements, and sidewalks. Focus on natural plantings to slow water and allow it to filter into the ground rather than becoming runoff. Where needed, install pavers or bricks that allow water to sink in the ground.
Minimizing runoff reduces damage to your property and others down stream. It may also save you money if you live in a city that has a stormwater utility, since stormwater utility fees are based on the amount of runoff your property sends to the storm sewer system.
rain gardens
Rain gardens are slight depressions in a yard that acts as receiving areas for rain water that runs off your roof and downspouts. Rain gardens capture rainwater before it picks up oil, grease, fertilizer, pet waste, or other contaminants. Rain gardens replenish groundwater by infiltrating runoff, rather than passing it into the stormwater sewer. Often they are planted with native plants that thrive on moisture, but can withstand a dry period too.
rain barrels
A rain barrel captures water that flows from a roof through downspouts. Commonly, the rain barrel is a 55-gallon drum designed specifically to hold water without creating a mosquito breeding habitat. A tight fitting lid, seal for the downspout, and filtered overflow valve all overflow water to move away from the rain barrel.
Northeast Wisconsin Stormwater Consortium (NEWSC) P.O. Box 1861 Appleton, WI 54912 l 920.851.4336
RenewOurWaters.org
Stormwater is rain or snowmelt and water from things people do, like washing the car or watering the lawn. As water makes its way to the storm drain it picks up pollutants like oil from car leaks and bacteria from pet waste. When we choose products carefully and dispose of products properly, we can greatly reduce the amount of pollution that enters our local waters through runoff.
Untreated runoff is the biggest threat to our nation’s water quality, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Let’s make the small, important changes that will reduce that threat and improve water quality and our lives!
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