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WHY SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT CONSERVING AND PROTECTING WATER WHEN LANDSCAPING? Our fresh water supply is a very small, finite percentage of the total usable water we have on this earth. Much of our fresh water supply comes from our local lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater. Our freshwater supply is not only required for our survival, but the survival of many plants and animals, plus recreation (fishing, swimming, boating, etc.). All our yards have a cumulative effect on our freshwater supply not only locally but globally, and we each play an important role in water protection, conservation and quality!!! Native plants which once covered our land and grew in our wetlands, worked together with the soil and other organisms to keep our local waters clean, recharge our waterways, and reduce flooding or erosion by absorbing, intercepting, transpiring, and filtering water. Now much of our land is covered with impervious surfaces (driveways, streets, roofs, etc.) and plants that do little to filter or absorb excess water. As a result, many pollutants are washed into our storm drains from rain, snow melt, sprinklers, car washing, etc. The polluted run-off entering our storm drains is then dumped into our waterways (it does not go to a water treatment plant), thus becoming the leading cause of surface pollution. This not only impacts our local freshwater supply, but the supply of everyone else downstream since many of our rivers, lakes and streams are interconnected, and some even flow into our oceans. The increase in run-off also causes more flooding and erosion. We
also effect our groundwater when little water is being absorbed into the
ground, when the demand on our wells is greater than the groundwater supplied, or when contaminants seep into the ground. Our groundwater feeds many of
our wells which many people still depend on,
and also feeds our rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, etc. If our groundwater
becomes polluted or dries out, this also has a great impact on our overall freshwater
supply. Native plant landscaping, reduction of lawns, rain gardens, rain barrels, reducing/eliminating harmful yard chemicals & other outdoor pollutants, and use of more porous surfaces on walkways, driveways, patios such as gravel, wood chips, natural stone, decks, bricks, permeable paving, etc. are just a few simple ways homeowners can conserve and protect our freshwater supply, one yard at a time. Good-Natured Landscapes can help you! Please consider these options, and for additional tips, please see the University of Illinois' Extension Fact Sheet: Storm Water Best Management Practices and Conservation Landscaping for Water Quality. "We abuse land because
we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to
which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." |
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Education & Affiliations: A.A.S. Degree in Ornamental Horticulture/Landscape Design in 2003, Board Member of Wild Ones Greater Dupage Chapter, Member of the Landscape Design Association, 10+ years experience with native plants Company Established in 2005. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2008 Revised: 07/20/2008 |
