From mowing your lawn to planting raingardens, there are many simple ways to prevent stormdrain pollution in your yard.

Rain gardens – A beautiful way to keep water out of storm drains
Flowers and shrubs planted in shallow depressions allow rainwater from impervious surfaces like sidewalks and driveways to soak into the ground instead of flowing into stormdrains. Use native plants in your rain garden to create a beautiful and easy-to-maintain space that attracts native birds and butterflies.

Cover Bare Soil – Keeping sediments and soil out of the water
As topsoil erodes from your yard, it fills in and pollutes local rivers and streams, often bringing chemicals and waste with it. Prevent soil erosion by covering exposed soil with vegetation and mulch.

Mowing – Mow it high and let it lie
By raising the mowing height on your lawn mower, you can grow a healthy lawn that is both easier to maintain and better for our rivers. Keeping your lawn a little longer will limit the amount of water and fertilizer needed to keep it green. After you mow, let the clippings lie in your yard. The pieces break down quickly and act as a natural fertilizer.

Lawn Watering – Smart watering for a smart-looking lawn
Overwatering not only depletes the water supply, but it also makes plants prone to pests and adds to stormwater runoff, which pollutes our water systems. Lawn grasses naturally go dormant--or brown--in the heat of summer. Dormancy is nature's way of preserving water and protecting grass from extreme temperatures. Frequent watering also promotes the growth of weeds like crabgrass. Plus the more you water your lawn, the more it needs to be mowed!

Fertilizer and Pesticides – A little goes a long way
Fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides pollute our local waterways. To keep from over-fertilizing your yard, follow the holiday rule--only fertilize on Memorial Day and Halloween, using phosphorus-free fertilizers. According to the U.S. EPA, U.S. homeowners used 67 million pounds of pesticides on their lawn in 2002. So always use pesticides sparingly. By minimizing our use of these chemicals we can ensure that the water that reaches our rivers and lakes is clean and safe.

Leaves – Nature’s mulch
Leaves and other yard waste can clog stormdrains and add excess nitrogen to rivers and streams that can cause algal blooms. Instead of piling these leaves in the street, use them as a great natural mulch or add them to your compost pile.

These small improvements and tips can keep your home—and stormdrains—pollution free.

Car Care – Boats are not the only vehicles that affect water!
Anti-freeze, oil and other drips from your car get flushed into stormdrains that flow directly to our rivers and streams. Take care that car fluids and soapy water from car washes stay out of stormdrains.

Animal Waste – Don’t let Fido spoil your river
When pet waste is washed into storm drains, it goes directly into our waterways without getting treated. If not disposed of properly, pet waste can present significant health risk and water pollution. Dispose of pet waste by flushing it down the toilet or burying it in the yard.

Downspouts – Don’t waste the water that comes off your roof
Prevent water from running off your property by disconnecting your downspout from the sewer system. Instead, direct the water from your roof to your yard and flower bed or capture it in a rain barrel. Conserve water by using this rainwater to water your lawn and flowers. In fact, rainwater is better than well water for flowering plants.

Road Salt and Deicers – Maintain safe roads and sidewalks with water-safe alternatives
Road salt and deicers not only damage shoes, roads and infrastructure, but they also harm plants, seep into groundwater and degrade river water quality as snow melt washes them into stormdrains. Use water-friendly alternatives like salt-free de-icers or sandbox sand and always use as little as possible.

Hazardous Household Chemicals – Hazardous to people and rivers
If you cannot use up or give away household cleaners, follow proper disposal procedures as listed on product packages. Never use storm drains to dispose of household hazardous wastes like motor oil, paints or pesticides.

As part of the Rock River Basin, we are all connected to each other through streams, rivers and stormdrains. Join your neighbors in these efforts to keep our waters clean and the future bright.

Stormdrain Stenciling
Community groups throughout the Rock River Basin are painting local storm drains to remind people that when water enters stormdrains from lawns, driveways and streets it goes directly into local creeks, rivers and lakes, without being treated or filtered. Stormdrain stenciling is a fun activity for groups of all ages. For more information or to get a stenciling kit, contact the Clean Water. Bright Future. campaign at rdill@biodiverse.org.

Volunteer Monitoring
Join your neighbors as a volunteer stream monitor in your area. Volunteers monitor the health of streams by recording stream flow, clarify, and cataloging all the small creatures living in the water. You can volunteer with the Rock River Coalition's Citizen Monitoring Program or the statewide Water Action Volunteers program.