Yard Waste

Leaves/Grass Clippings

Yard debris, including leaves and other organic plant materials like shrubbery trimmings and grass clippings, is significant source of stormwater pollution. Debris can carry fertilizer and pesticides from your yard and deposit them in our rivers and streams. Don’t use a hose as a broom. Sweep up yard debris rather than washing it down the driveway of street. Compost your yard waste.

Leaf ‘litter’ and landscape trash accounts for 56% of the phosphorus in urban stormwater. Too many nutrients, like phosphorus, cause rapid algae growth downstream in streams and lakes. Algae looks bad, smells bad, degrades water quality and can be harmful to your health. As algae decays, it uses up oxygen in the water leading to hypoxic regions downstream. These ‘dead’ zones support fewer organisms and have been linked to massive fish kills in the Gulf of Mexico to which the Miami Valley Waterways will eventually drain. By properly addressing your leaf waste and taking advantage of curbside pick up, you are directly benefiting the Miami Valley Waterways and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.

Fun fact: the largest dead zone on record in the Gulf of Mexico was the size of New Jersey, nearly completely devoid of any aquatic animal species.

City of Kettering Yard Debris Drop Off Center: https://ketteringoh.org/yard-debris-center/

City of Kettering Annual Leaf Pick up: https://ketteringoh.org/residential-leaf-collection-program/

Loose Dirt

Loose dirt may not seem like a contaminator as most streambeds and rivers have large amounts of dirt at the bottom of them. However, all the excess dirt carries nutrients that plants would have used during growing if it runs off from a property. In addition to depleting the health of the soil on your property this erosion can deposit those nutrients in the water, creating algae booms and subsequent hypoxic zones. The excess dirt may also physically settle in all the natural nooks and crannies of a riverbed, filling voids that would have been homes to insects, invertebrates, and other small animals essential to the larger ecosystem. Finish yard projects quickly to ensure disturbed earth does not simply erode away in the next storm.

Fertilizer

Fertilize in the fall instead of the springtime. Fall fertilizations promote vigorous root growth and prevent fertilizer from leaching into our streams. Choose fertilizers with “slow release” forms of nitrogen which are less likely to leach untreated from your yard into our streams and creeks. Follow manufacturer’s instructions. More is not better. In fact, most manufacturers’ instructions err on the side of excess. They want your yard to the best possible so their product sells more and want you to use more so you buy more. Do a soil test and consider phosphorus-free fertilizers. Consider growing clover in your lawn. It’s hardy, stands up to wear and produces nitrogen in a natural way that other lawn grasses need. If mowed infrequently, it flowers and acts as a pollinator haven to insects in your yard. Redirect rain gutter downspouts into landscaped areas instead of onto paved surfaces such as driveways.

Rain Barrels

Rain barrels or cisterns can be used to harvest rain water for irrigation and other outdoor water uses. Collecting water in a rain barrel can save you money on your water bill but also reduces the amount of water entering the storm drain during a storm. Check with your local water utility for possible product rebates. In addition to efficient watering practices, watering your home’s landscape with rainwater or reused water can help relieve the strain on the local municipal water supply, especially during drought conditions. Be mindful that the first steps to water-efficiency outdoors should be a drought tolerant, low water use landscape and wise watering.

Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District: https://www.montgomeryswcd.org/

Compost

Compost is a great idea to sequester the nutrients that would’ve gone down the drain from grass clippings and loose dirt. If you are spending money on fertilizers and plant growth chemicals, creating your own compost is a great way to save money while also reducing the amount of household waste headed to the landfill. Why throw that old banana peel away when you can turn it into nutrient rich soil for your garden, landscaping or lawn? This will make for larger, healthier plants and root systems that will increasingly sequester more and more stormwater as it passes through your property. Nutrient rich, healthy soils are more permeable than unhealthy soils and let stormwater soak in better than compared to nutrient-devoid compact soils.