PowerPoint Presentation

WATERPOLLUTIONASSOCIATED WITHLANDSCAPE HABITSBYSANCHANA PRAVEENS8 B-ARCH MESSOAClean freshwater is an essential ingredient for a healthy human life, but 1.1 billion people lack access to water and 2.4 billion dont have adequate sanitationWater becomes polluted from toxic substances dumped or washed into streams and waterways and the discharge of sewage and industrial waste. These pollutants come in many formsorganic, inorganic, even radioactiveand can make life difficult, if not impossible, for humans, animals and other organisms alike.

The water cycle

How Does Your Lawn and Landscape Care Impact Water QualityTake a minute to think about our water and how it cycles. All the water we have is already here on earth in some form. It is in the atmosphere; in icebergs; in oceans, lakes and ponds; in plants and animals; and in our soil at various levels. Water falls as rain, which either runs off or soaks into the soil. The water that runs off usually enters some sort of surface storage area such as a lake, pond, river or ocean where it is subject to evaporation.The water that soaks into the soil becomes groundwater.This water is available for our use as a shallow well and feeds our lawns, crops and trees.

Certain soils allow groundwater to infiltrate deeper into the soil and fill aquifers and deep wells.The old saying what goes around comes around certainly describes the water cycle.

So, you see what we do on the surface dramatically affects our water both above and below the surface.

When you fertilize your lawn, does the fertilizer sometimes fall where it might run into a stream?When you spray your shrubs or garden, do you mix only what you need? If you have excess, how do you dispose of it where does it end up?Do you recognize that you probably have hazardous materials in your home? How do you properly dispose of them?If your home is serviced by a septic system, how can you keep it functioning properly? Should you be concerned if it is not?Have you ever considered how you could landscape your property to take advantage of more drought-tolerant plants in order to conserve water?

when you fertilize your lawn, some fertilizer may land on the sidewalk or street. It is carried by the rain. It then enters a small stream along with fertilizer from other developments.

The small stream joins a larger one carrying even more material from our county and that stream enters the river carrying nutrients from our own and other states

By taking good care of your landscape plants, you can reduce the need for pesticides that could potentially endanger water quality. Good planting and maintenance practices can also promote healthy, attractive plants that can add value to your property.Mulch with shredded bark or other organic material around planting beds, trees, and shrubs. Mulch helps keep down weeds, protects trees from lawn mower wounds, helps reduce erosion, and protects roots near the soil surface from hot, dry summer weather.Prune dead or diseased branches out of trees and shrubs.Use the right plant in the right place. Placing plants where they will do their very best can help reduce pesticide needs. For example, planting a rose in full sun with good air circulation can reduce black spot.USE GOOD LANDSCAPE PRACTICES

A properly maintained lawn looks beautiful and also helps protect water quality. Healthy grass needs less pesticide and will be better able to take up fertilizer, reducing the chance of pollutants washing through the soil and reaching our water supplies.Mow high and often. Leave grass clippings on the lawn. They add nutrients to the soil, lessening the need for commercial fertilizer. Clippings also add organic matter, helping to reduce runoff.Fertilize cool-season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass) in the fall. Fertilize warm-season grasses (Bermuda grass, zoysiagrass) in the summer.KEEP YOUR LAWN HEALTHY

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES

Lawns and landscapes can be a source of pollution, but well-designed and properly managed landscapes minimize pollution potential as well as provide many benefits.

Planted areas green space protect the environment by stabilizing soil to reduce soil erosion, slowing and reducing runoff, filtering pollutants, and cooling the air. When rain falls on green space, the amount of runoff water is reduced through natural retention. Rainwater soaks into planted areas where plant roots, the soil structure, and soil microbes filter many pollutants before they reach surface or groundwater. Because of these many benefits, the use of green space to manage storm water and reduce water pollution is on the rise. Municipalities refer to green space as green infrastructure that uses trees and other vegetation to manage and mitigate storm water naturally, rather than through storm drains that discharge to surface water.

RAIN SCAPING: A BEAUTIFUL SOLUTION TO WATER POLLUTION Rain gardensRain gardens are landscapes built to capture storm water. Rain gardens use shallow depressions to slow down the water, spread it out over an area and soak into the ground rather than channel the water into storm sewers and ultimately into nearby waterways. Less water usage Don't waste drinking water. Rain gardens capture runoff and slowly filter out common pollutants and sediment.Less storm water runoff--lower volumes of erosion-causing runoff and associated pollutants running into our street.With appropriate plants, rain gardens provide attractive habitats for birds, butterflies and beneficial insects.

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