Stormwater - How You Can Help

Everyone can help reduce the amount of polluted runoff flowing into the Bay and its tributaries. Follow these simple tips to do your part to help the Bay.

In Your Backyard

• Wait until fall to fertilize your lawn. Heavy spring rains wash fertilizers off our lawns and into local waterways, where they can fuel the growth of algae that impacts fish and blue crabs.
• Replace traditional springtime fertilizing with “grasscycling,” or leaving leftover grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. This is a natural fertilizer that can reduce 25 to 50 percent of your lawn’s nitrogen needs.
• If you must fertilize your lawn, make sure to follow directions on the product and use only the amount of fertilizer your lawn needs. Twice the product does not mean twice the results!
• Keep fertilizer off hard surfaces like walkways, driveways and streets, where it will easily wash into storm drains and streams.
• Pick up after your pet, whether in the yard, on the sidewalk or in a park. It’s a dirty job, but pet waste can contribute nutrients and bacteria to local water sources.
• Use porous surfaces, such as pavers that allow water to filter into the soil, instead of asphalt or other impervious surfaces for your driveway or patio.
• Plant trees and shrubs, which reduce soil erosion and control runoff from your yard.
• Install a rain barrel to catch gutter water that runs off your roof. This water can then be used to water plants and gardens.
• In the fall, compost fallen leaves to reduce soil erosion and the need to fertilize.
• Spread mulch on areas of bare ground to help prevent erosion and runoff.
• Make sure gutters and sprinklers drain into grass or gravel areas to reduce runoff and increase absorption of rain water.
• Use safer, non-toxic alternatives to pesticides and herbicides, or control bugs using heat treatments, insecticidal soaps, botanical pesticides or integrated pest management (IPM).
• Fix car leaks so engine fluids like oil and antifreeze don’t run into your nearest water source.
• Wash your car on grass or gravel, rather than on pavement. The ground will absorb and filter soapy, grimy water, instead of it running down your driveway and into a storm drain.

On the Road

• Reduce the amount of miles you drive. Fewer miles driven means fewer nutrients and chemical contaminants are emitted from your car into the air.
• Avoid unnecessary idling, which wastes fuel, costs you money and pollutes the air, no matter how efficient your car is.

At Work/School

• Instead of driving, walk, bike, or take a bus or train. If you must drive, consider carpooling.