Are you planning on landscaping your lawn this spring and looking for a way to incorporate drought tolerant plants and help improve water quality? Rain gardens and bioretention cells are a great way to add visual interest to your lawn, which can increase your property value; in addition, they can also help improve water quality by filtering out pollutants and even help alleviate downstream flooding by reducing the amount of runoff from your property. In the video below, Jason Vogel with Oklahoma State University talks about a demonstration project that was installed in a neighborhood in eastern Oklahoma City.
With spring upon us, many Oklahoma City residents are turning to fertilizer to grow lush, green lawns. Unfortunately this stimulant can impair the health of the City’s lakes and streams when it’s allowed to wash down neighborhood storm drains.
“Local studies indicate that many homeowners unknowingly over apply fertilizer on their lawns,” environmental protection manager Raymond Melton said. “This can lead to polluted waterways.”
According to the EPA, more than 100,000 miles of rivers and streams and close to 2.5 million acres of lakes and reservoirs in the U.S. have poor water quality because of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. Nutrient pollution is one of Americas most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water causes significant increases in algae, which harms water quality, and decreases the oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive.
Here are some other helpful tips when fertilizing:
Have your soil tested. Use the results to identify your lawn’s needs to maximize productivity and identify deficiencies. Adjusting your soil pH and fertilizer application will result in a healthier lawn.
Apply fertilizer during dry weather and wet the ground using controlled watering.
Fertilize on a day with little or no wind to reduce drift, sweep any excess fertilizer out of the street and back into your grass.
Bag or mulch excess yard trimmings from sidewalks and driveways to reduce fertilizer and pesticides attached to the clippings from blowing into the storm drains or washing away during the next rain.
Avoid overwatering. Overwatering can increase the nitrogen loss by 5 to 10 times compared to slow delivery rates.
Consider mulching to reduce the need to fertilize. Grass blades decompose quickly and can contain about 4 percent nitrogen, 1 percent phosphorus and 2 percent potassium.
Store unused fertilizer in a dry area not exposed to rainfall or runoff.
Consider alternative grass such as buffalo grass.
Never throw grass clipping into curblines, storm drains, channels or creeks. Improperly disposed plant materials can cause serious water quality problems and may clog storm drainages.
Recycle your leftover fertilizer and pesticides at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 1621 S Portland Ave.
Oklahoma receives an average rainfall of 36 inches per year. Rain barrels are a simple, eco-friendly way to store and use rain water captured by your roof’s gutter system. Rain barrels can save you money by providing free H2O to help water your lawn and garden, or even wash your car. A rain barrel distribution event is coming soon to your area. To place an order for a reasonably-priced rain barrel and accessories, visit http://www.upcyclerainbarrel.com
Don’t forget to visit us at the H&G Show in just 2 weeks! We will have rain barrels and compost bins on display and you can even enter a raffle to win a rain barrel for free!!
Mark your calendars and come see us at the 2017 Oklahoma Home + Garden Show January 20-22, 2017!! We’ll be at Booth #2236 in the NEW Expo Building. This will be a great opportunity to talk to us about stormwater, water pollution, and what you can do at home to help the environment.
You can find more information about the H+G Show on their flyer and their website.
The EPA Region 6 Stormwater Conference was featured in Oklahoma City’s Downstream newsletter this quarter!
In October, Oklahoma City hosted the 18th Annual EPA Stormwater Conference in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and the States of Region 6. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett kicked off the conference on Tuesday morning. Keynote speakers throughout the week included Debra Nagle, Barry Fagan, Newton Tedder, and Dr. Anand D. Jayakaran.
To read the full article and catch up on stormwater news in Oklahoma City, you can view the full newsletter here:
Tap into rainwater by connecting your downspouts to a rain barrel.
Rain barrels are a great way for homeowners to harvest rainwater. Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and storing rainwater for later use. The collected rainwater can be used to supplement your irrigation, rinse garden tools, water flower beds, keep compost moist, etc. In addition, it will reduce the amount of water settling around the foundation of your home. However, the water should not be used for drinking, cooking, or bathing. Rain barrels reduce stormwater runoff by capturing it as it leaves your roof. This can reduce the amount of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals that get washed into our lakes and streams. Reducing stormwater runoff can also reduce the stress on downstream stormwater management and treatment systems.
If you’re in the market for a rain barrel COSWA members are now accepting orders! Orders can now be made online or over the phone (see below for more information). Orders must be completed no later than the Sunday before the pickup date. While you don’t necessarily have to be a resident of these cities to purchase rain barrels, you will have to pick up your rain barrel at the specified location. For more information please refer to your city below:
The weather’s warming up and it’s time to get ready for spring showers! Harvest all that rain water by installing a rain barrel at one (or more) of your downspouts. Rain barrels are a great way to save money by collecting rainwater for later use. The water you collect can be used to rinse garden tools, water flower beds, keep compost moist, etc.
This year’s pick-up locations will be Yukon, Edmond, Oklahoma City, and Midwest City. For information regarding ordering deadlines and pick-up dates, refer to the pick-up locations below:
