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There is no doubt that everyone wants a healthy stream, stream and green space in their community for families to enjoy themselves safely.
Stormwater Management – Maintaining excessive runoff from rain, snow, and pollutants that carry from contaminating local water sources is essential to maintaining the health and well-being of native fish and wildlife, as well as the quality of the water your family uses every day.
Home builders will install silt fences, dig up retention ponds and control stormwater runoff during construction. But when the community is completed, the way it is maintained makes a huge difference in the health of nearby waterways.
Consider the following ways to help keep your community clean and healthy for the enjoyment of the future generations.
Fertilization
When rain falls, the bloated lawn flushes pesticides and herbicides into storm drains on the streets, and eventually transports them to local water sources. According to the Basin Protection Center, more than 50% of lawn owners fertilize their lawn, but only 10-20% of homeowners who actually conduct soil testing to determine their lawn’s fertilization needs are doing soil testing. Take your time to test your soil before purchasing your first bag. You may not even need to fertilize.
If you need to fertilize your lawn:
- Store it on the grass and use it sparingly and consider using organic products
- Please suppress the possibility of a storm immediately after applying it to the grass.
- When cutting, do not put grass in the bag. Cuttering will naturally fertilize your lawn. But clean those fertilizer-rich cutouts from the sidewalks and roads so that they don’t go down the storm drains.
tree
Planting trees is a great way to help prevent contaminated rainwater from reaching the storm drain. The roots help to bring the rainwater filter back into the soil and reduce excess runoff.
As an additional benefit, trees can help reduce summer cooling costs by providing shade to your home, and in many cases they can help increase the value of your home.
garden
Plants that grow in your area require less water and nutrients to survive, and are resistant to pests and diseases, resulting in less fertilization. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin has a searchable database to help you get started. Visit www.wildflower.org/explore to see if flowers, trees and shrubs are the most effective in your community.
Rain Barrel
Rain barrels collect rainwater runoff from the roof of a house through rain drains. They temporarily hold water and reduce the amount of water that reaches the sewer system. The water can then be used to water the lawns and gardens. Buy a rain barrel at a local home or garden store or build it yourself. Step-by-step instructions are available on the Environmental Protection Agency website www.epa.gov.
These are some suggestions that will help you begin your path to a cleaner and healthier community. Join local basin organizations and find ways to make a difference. Go to www.epa.gov and search for “surf your lowershed.”
BIA is a strong follower and advocate for proper stormwater management. We work closely with the Stark Soil & Water Consevation district to ensure that developers and builders are using the right technology to build the structure. One of the latest developer councils featured district manager Duncantz offering proposals. For more information about stormwater management and other environmental initiatives, contact the Stark County BIA at www.biastark.com or visit www.biastarkeco.com.
Javan Yoder is the 2025 president of the Building Industry Association of Stark & East Central Ohio.
