As of this writing, the damaged oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has been capped. Still, the environmental and economic impacts of the oil already spilled into the Gulf waters is widespread and devastating. Many years and dollars will be spent on the clean-up, and oil is damaging important ecosystems, including wetlands and shorelines.
This large-scale tragedy can be a good lesson to all of us on a local level. Water from storm drains flows directly into the watershed untreated. Heed those “Dump No Waste” stencils and never dump any type of trash, waste or debris into storm sewers, or directly into a lake or pond. Chemicals and excess organic material, such as grass clippings, can have devastating effects on local aquatic ecosystems; potential consequences include algae blooms, the proliferation of nuisance aquatic vegetation and fish kills.
Dumping directly into the sewer isn’t the only way pollutants reach the watershed. Normal stormwater runoff includes lawn fertilizers and pesticides washed away by rain, so be sure to apply these materials (if you use them) only according to manufacturer recommendations and limits. If your property has lake or river frontage, or includes a stream or tributary, your runoff has a direct route to the water. Consider installation of native aquatic plants and shrubs in the buffer zone to help reduce erosion and provide natural runoff filtration.
