Stormwater Week Encourages Community to ‘Be the Change for Clean Water’

Mahoning Soil & Water Conservation District is encouraging residents to “Be the Change for Clean Water” during Stormwater Awareness Week, Oct. 18-24, by becoming educated on water pollution prevention and taking action.

“Stormwater Awareness Week gives us an opportunity to call attention to how stormwater runoff affects water sources, including our drinking water,” said Kathleen Vrable-Bryan, SWCD district administrator. “Each of us can take small steps in our daily lives to make a big impact on protecting our water.”

While rainwater is great for lawns, gardens and vegetation, it can be harmful to streams and rivers, because it carries sediment and other pollutants with it.

Trash, lawn fertilizer, paint, waste and other common household items can threaten our drinking water by traveling through groundwater into streams and waterways.

During Stormwater Awareness Week, Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout Ohio are urging residents to take one or more of the following actions:

• Pick up trash in your neighborhood or a local park.
• Keep storm drains clear of leaves, litter and other debris.
• Pick up and dispose of animal waste in your yard, which can carry pollutants to local waterways.
• Check the weather before applying fertilizer to your lawn and only use organic fertilizers.
• Plant native plants that have deep roots, which help break up clay soil and increase the amount of water remaining on a property while benefiting birds, butterflies and bees.
• Install a rain garden using native shrubs, perennials, and flowers planted in a small depression or slope, which will help soak up rainwater runoff from roofs, driveways, patios and lawns.

Mahoning SWCD assists residents concerned with erosion and flooding caused by stormwater runoff.

Our staff also works with contractors to develop Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWP3s), which address erosion and sediment control during and after construction, limiting the potential for stormwater runoff polluting of waterways.

For more information about stormwater management best practices or to learn more about how Mahoning SWCD can assist landowners, visit our website or contact us at (330)740-7995.