wednesday,july 3, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online

15 Wednesday, July 3, 2013The County TimesFrom My Backyardto Our Bay was firstdeveloped by the BaltimoreCounty Soil ConservationDistrict. From there, thebooklet was given to eachof the Soil ConservationDistricts in the ChesapeakeBay watershed area forcustomization. If the 77million residents who live inthe watershed area of theChesapeake Bay read thisbooklet, and took to heartits suggestions and bestpractices, the ChesapeakeBay would see a dramaticincrease in health. Obtaina FREE copy of thebooklet by going to the St.Mary’s River WatershedAssociation, smrwa.org anddownloading it. The bookletis available at WentworthNursery in Charlotte Hall;Chicken Scratch in ParkHall; The Greenery inHollywood; Good EarthNatural Food; and the St.Mary’s Soil ConservationDistrict in Leonardtown.From my Backyard to our BayA St. Mary’s County Resident’s Guide to Improving Our Environment and Drinking WaterEnvironmental Issues in Your BackyardWater Runoff Can PolluteWhen we say From My Backyard toOur Bay, there are two issues we needto consider. We must first examinethe amount and speed of the waterthat moves across the ground – yourbackyard. We must also consider thecontaminants the water picks up as itcrosses your yard on its way to the Bayor its tributaries.In a rainstorm, some rainfall “infiltrates,”or soaks into the ground, and someruns off. Infiltrated water percolatesthrough the soil and replenishes thegroundwater that eventually supplieswater to wells. Runoff can causeserious pollution problems.For every house built, a considerableexpanse of impervious surface is added– area that can’t absorb water. A vacantlot can absorb rainfall over its entiresurface, but when roofs, sidewalks,driveways, streets, and parking lotsare installed, all of the rainfall strikingthese surfaces runs off with very littleinfiltration. Runoff from residentialareas can quickly pick up pollutants onits path to the nearest storm drain orstream.From: www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs htm?docid=21137The most common pollutant issediment. Soil particles carried bythe runoff make “muddy” streams.When runoff slows down enough, thesediment settles out of the water and isdeposited. Pollutants such as fertilizersor pesticides can be dissolved in runoffor attached to sediment particles.Other water-borne pollutants includepathogens, fecal coliform (whichcould come from wild animal or petwaste), gas, oil, grease, and exhaustparticulates that wash off streets andparking lots.In suburban areas, runoff eventuallyflows into the storm drain system,headed for drinking water reservoirsand the Bay. It is far easier andmore cost effective to solve pollutionproblems at the source. Once pollutedrunoff leaves your property, it becomesa public problem – and a much moreexpensive one.What Can I Do toControl Runoff?The first and simplest rule ofconservation is to maximize infiltrationof rainfall and minimize runoff.Protecting soil with grasses, shrubs,trees, or mulch will make the soil moreresistant to erosion and more likely toabsorb the maximum amount of rainfallbefore runoff begins to occur.Where to get help with…RUNOFF, EROSION, &SOIL QUESTIONS• St. Mary’s Soil Conservation District,301-475-8402 ext. 3• St. Mary’s County Dept. of Land Useand Growth Management, Inspections,301-475-4200 ext. 1580• Chesapeake Bay Foundation, A Citizen’sGuide to Erosion and SedimentControl in Maryland, cbf.org/Document.Doc?id=160• St. Mary’s County Dept. of PublicWorks, 301-863-8400 ext. 3550Join your local watershedassociation and make adifference for Our Bay!This is the seventh in a series of articles that Mary Ann Scott (maryann.scott58@yahoo.com) has adapted from From My Backyard to Our Bay in the hopes of increasingsmrwa.orgQBH St M County TImes Half Adawarenesscode_Layoutof the1powerful1/7/13booklet8:15thatAMcouldPagedo so1much to help the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Look for the next article in next week’s County Times!From My Backyard to Our BayA St. Mary’s County Resident’s Guide toImproving Our Environment and Drinking Waterare youBay-Wise?Bay-Wise landscapesminimize negative impactson our waterways by usingsmarter lawn managementtechniques and gardeningpractices. The Universityof Maryland ExtensionMaster Gardener Bay-Wiseprogram in St. Mary’sCounty offers hands-onhelp with managing yourlandscape by providinginformation, a site visit, andlandscape certifications.Our yardstick checklist iseasy to understand andfollow, and our team oftrained Master Gardenerscan help guide youthrough it while offeringsuggestions to improveboth the appearanceand sustainability of yourlandscape.Call Now &Schedule a Visit!301-475-4120extension.umd.edu/baywiseStart a Movement in YourNeighborhood…Be the Firstto be Certified Bay-Wise!SCAN THIS CODEWith YourSmart Phoneto Visitthe QBHWeb Site!MHBRNo. 103