Ten Things to Improve Water Quality

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Ten Things You Can do to Improve Water Quality

by Nate Sylvester

November, 2001

Keep lakes beautiful, improve your property, and save money at the same time. Surely I must be joking; it sounds too good to be true! The benefits of clean water are many: lower property taxes, recreational uses, and tourism to name a few. Even if you don't live near a lake, never swim, boat, or fish you benefit from clean water. Luckily there are many things you can do no matter where you live to improve surface water quality. This is because everyone lives in a watershed, and everyone impacts a water body in one way or another.

First, what is a watershed? Picture a bowl with some water in it. The water in the bottom represents a lake or pond, and the sides of the bowl represent the watershed of that lake or pond. Every drop of water that comes into contact with the sides of the bowl will either evaporate (if it sticks to the side of the bowl long enough) or will end up in the bottom of the bowl. This is how a watershed functions, except that water can also infiltrate into the soil and become groundwater. Rainfall will either, evaporate, infiltrate or runoff. Excessive runoff is the primary cause of soil erosion, the most serious threat to Maine's lakes. To reduce runoff you must increase infiltration and evaporation. By using the land to live, work and play, we increase runoff and in turn soil erosion. It is another example of how we impact our environment. The good news is that although we will always impact our environment, the degree to which we do it can be minimized. The following are some things that you can do to minimize your impact.

Stop Mowing: Let your lawn revert back to forest. Infiltration and evaporation are much higher for forested land as compared to a lawn. Leaves, twigs and other organic matter found in a forest environment absorb rainfall; this increases the rate of evaporation and the undulating terrain increases infiltration, reducing runoff. This reduces the volume of water that will flow in a nearby stream immediately after a rainstorm, reducing bank erosion. So relax, watch a ballgame, and sell that old lawn mower.

Drive less: Stay off the road. Roads are constructed of impervious material (gravel or asphalt) allowing no infiltration and very little evaporation. Roadways also obstruct natural drainage patterns requiring culverts or other measures to control flow. As a result of their impervious and obstructive nature roads have a negative impact on water quality. Although it may not seem like much, driving less will allow roads to maintain their shape to effectively control runoff. Not to mention that you will be conserving energy resources.

Locate your septic system: A failing septic system is not only a stinky nuisance but can be a serious threat to water quality. Sewage from your leach field or holding tank contains bacteria and nutrients that are harmful to groundwater and surface water. Make sure your system is functioning properly by inspecting you leach field for "break outs" and have your tank pumped periodically.

Maintain your driveway/camp road: Just like town and state roads, private roads are constructed of impervious material. This impervious area can create all sorts of erosion problems. One way to deal with these problems is to reduce the amount of impervious area on your property, by decreasing the amount of parking area in your "dooryard." Adding a crown to your driveway/camp road will effectively disperse rainwater off of the roadway where infiltration can take place. Crowning will also eliminate potholes, wash outs, and "mud runs" in the spring.

Plant a tree: Trees provide and umbrella to shelter us from the rain, but more importantly organic matter in the form of leaves, pine needles and twigs to "soak" up rainfall. Roots hold soil in place on steep slopes and promote infiltration. Trees also increase evaporation and give "tree huggers" like me something to hug.

Leave the "puckerbrush" alone: Ferns, raspberry bushes, and other possible nuisance plants provide organic material to "soak" up rainfall. Their medium-depth roots systems absorb water and nutrients, and hold soil in place.

Keep your mind on your gutters: Specifically pay attention to your downspouts. During a rainstorm a large volume of water from your rooftop is concentrated and led down the side of your house. This charge of water can create obvious soil erosion problems. This flow should be directed into the forested area (where your lawn used to be) so that infiltration can take place.

Use fertilizer wisely: Fertilizers contain nutrients that help your lawn to grow. Unfortunately these are the same nutrients that help aquatic vegetation, like algae, to grow. If you must fertilize your lawn sample your soil to find out how much and what blend of fertilizer to use, it'll save you money.

Get involved in your local government: Decisions made by municipalities have an impact on water quality. Issues such as phosphorus control ordinances and road maintenance budgets affect behavior that can impact water quality. Attend selectmen meetings and put your two cents in.

Contact your local Conservation District: Conservation districts provide free assistance to landowners and municipalities regarding conservation practices. If you want more information about topics discussed in this article, or anything conservation related, contact your local conservation district: Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation District at 622-7847 ext. 3.

Glossary:
Infiltration: the movement of water from the soil surface downwards into the soil profile.
Impervious: description of an area that inhibits or prevents infiltration.
Runoff: rain in excess of the amount absorbed by the ground.
Dooryard: area on a Maine resident's property designated for parking trucks to lean on.
Puckerbrush: prickly bushes, shrubs, poison ivy, or other painful vegetation.