Sticking to a Pollution Diet

agriculture, Aquatic Health and Habitat Use, Chesapeake Bay, Drinking Water Use, Land, Partnership, Responsible Land Use, TMDL 8 Comments

Click to visit the Mid-Atlantic Chesapeake Bay TMDL website

Map of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Bob Koroncai and Rich Batiuk are diet gurus of sorts. It’s not love handles these veteran EPA officials are after. Their target is the excess pounds of nutrients and sediment that are clogging the arteries of the Chesapeake Bay and creating unhealthy conditions for the nation’s largest estuary.
Like food, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are good things at the right levels. But the bay and its rivers, streams and creeks are getting far too much of the stuff, choking off oxygen for fish and crabs, and blocking light needed by underwater grasses.
Koroncai and Batiuk are taking their sweatsuits and whistles throughout the massive Chesapeake Bay watershed to help the states and the District of Columbia do what it takes to shrink their pollution waistlines. But the effort needs your help. There are many ways to lighten up on the nutrients you deliver to your local waters — from driving less to skipping the spring fertilizer. Check out this list of actions you can take to help protect your favorite river or stream.
Have you taken any of these steps or others? Our EPA dieticians want to know.
And for the latest information on the effort to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, sign up for our June 7 webinar and visit our website at www.epa.gov/chesapeakebaytmdl.

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May 6, 2010

It’s Raining Flowers, So Hold Your Water

Aquatic Health and Habitat Use, Drinking Water Use, Green Solutions, In Your Backyard, Land, Local Community, Water Quality 8 Comments

Beneficial uses of Rain Gardens

On my block, you’ll know if we had a good rain if the river of water along the street curbs and sidewalks is heading to the corner storm drain. Heck, why waste that water when I can keep it on my property and grow a lovely rain garden. I planted one in 2009. It’s a modest little rain-sucker, but one that at least showed I cared. It makes good sense to plant a rain garden and take other steps to contain rainwater on your property and to do more for the environment with these tips. How does a rain garden work? The soil and plants absorb the water and filter pollution. The garden slows down and reduces the volume of rainfall runoff before it enters the drain, but doesn’t pond since it’s quick draining. The water from your roof, driveway and sidewalk collects fertilizers, pet waste, oil and other pollutants as it runs off into the nearest storm drain and out into your local river or stream. Rain gardens are just one way to contain runoff and protect your streams and rivers. You can find more suggestions here. Have you planted a rain garden, installed a rain barrel or taken other steps to reduce runoff? If so, let us know how you’re doing in holding your water.