Backyard Conversation
Connecting Community + Conservation
| | Welcome to Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District's Backyard Conversation newsletter! Each month, we will share a conservation topic from a more personal viewpoint for our readers and residents. Thanks for reading! | | Clean Water Tips for Residents & Businesses | | |
How Residents & Businesses Can Help Improve Water Quality
Non-point source pollution is a big contributor to water quality problems. "Non-point source pollution" is water pollution where you can't necessarily point to a direct source, but it culminates in our waterways into a bigger problem. In our urban environment, it is a wide range of things including litter, lawn chemicals, leaking vehicle fluids, sediment from soil erosion, bacteria and nutrients from dog poop, nutrients from lawn clippings and leaves, and more. Whereas point source pollution is discharged directly to a waterway from a factory or treatment facility.
| | Reducing non-point source pollution requires some small behavior changes, but these changes are do-able with the right knowledge and resources. That is where Franklin Soil and Water comes in! | | Clean Water Tips: Conscious Behavior Changes to Reduce Stormwater Pollution | | |
We can make small changes in our habits to reduce stormwater runoff and keep our waterways clean.
Properly dispose of waste.
- Never dispose of waste in your yard or a storm drain especially hazardous materials, paint, concrete washout, fats/oils/greases.
- Take hazardous waste to a municipal or SWACO drop off event or facility.
- Dispose of latex and water-based paint by drying it with kitty litter, sawdust, or paint hardener, and putting it in the municipal trash once fully hardened.
- Dispose of oil-based paints at a hazardous waste drop off. Do NOT try to harden and trash oil-based paints - it is considered hazardous and therefore is not appropriate for trash.
Check vehicles for leaking fluids.
- Don't drip and drive. Check your vehicles and equipment for leaks regularly.
Use lawn chemicals (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides) properly and sparingly.
- Always follow the label closely. Do not overspray or overapply, or you risk contaminating waterways.
- Check the weather before applying chemicals. Do not apply chemicals right before rain; it will be a less effective application, AND it will wash away into our waterways.
Pick up dog waste immediately.
- Dog waste is high in nutrients and bacteria which is not great for water quality. Pick it up!
Remove invasive plants and plant native plants instead.
- Native plants have deep root systems and are excellent at capturing and reducing runoff.
| | |
How Businesses Can Protect Clean Water
What do businesses have to do with clean water? Businesses can make these same behavior changes to protect clean water. Instead of traditional landscaping with the typical annuals or non-native plants, consider adding a native plant garden or rain garden at your office or property. Not only is it better for water quality, but there are also economic benefits for doing so!
| | |
Per Earth Economics, in Franklin County, 1 acre of rain garden creates up to $74,000 in co-benefits annually. Here are some of the benefits:
- Reducing noise pollution
- Flood regulation
- Biodiversity and habitat
- Neighborhood scenery
- Avoided management cost
- Carbon sequestration
- Avoided emissions
If your Franklin County business needs help with a native or rain garden project, reach out to Franklin Soil and Water for resources and technical assistance.
| | Our flagship program, Community Backyards, has been off to a busy start. In June, we held 8 workshops around Franklin County, and issued over 3,000 vouchers since the program opened in April. For reference, we issued 3,100 vouchers last year in total. This has been our busiest year yet! We did get backlogged with processing rebates during May and June, but we are getting caught up thanks to our program staff and interns. Please note, we are limited on funding for this program, so we may have to start waitlisting vouchers in some communities based on available funding. If you haven't participated yet, please do so ASAP before we run out of funds. | | |
Upcoming Events
After a busy April through June, July will be a quieter month for us. However, you will find us at one of these upcoming events below. Stop by and say hi to our outreach team!
- Saturday July 12, 10am-12pm - Franklin County Pollinator Pathway Native Plant Swap @ Franklin Soil and Water
- Wednesday July 23, 3-6:30pm- Upper Arlington Farmers Market @ St. Mark's Episcopal Church & Littleton's Market
- August 7-9 - Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival @ Huber Park
Interested in a monthly digest of volunteer events around the county? Sign up for our Monthly Volunteer Newsletter.
| | |
July Yardening Tips from Lonnie the Garden Gnome
-
Native Plants: During the summer heat, your new native perennials and trees may need some watering during dry spells and hot temperatures. Once they get through their first growing season, they will be much more resilient and less needy beginning next growing season. Water as needed and follow their lead.
-
Lawn Care: When it comes to watering your lawn in the summer, water or don't. Your grass needs you to make your mind - let it go dormant and accept some brown spots --or-- commit to watering it 1" per week to keep it lush green. Measure it with a rain gauge to factor in rainfall and make sure you aren't over or under-watering. Dormancy is best suited for well-established lawns rather than new or heavily trafficked lawns. Residents in new developments where topsoil has been removed may want to keep their lawns watered to help it establish.
-
Composting: The summer heat will help your compost break down faster. Keep an eye on it during dry spells and water it if needed. Your compost pile needs to be as wet as a wrung out sponge but NEVER soaking wet.
| |
| Do you follow at least one of our clean water tips? | | | | |
Mikaela Mohr
Outreach Program Coordinator
Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District
1404 Goodale Blvd. Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43212
p: 614-486-9613 | e: mmohr@franklinswcd.org
| | | | |
