Common things like lawn care chemicals or soap from washing a car act as fertilizers in aquatic systems and encourage weed growth. Soil from yards and construction sites or farm fields turn local waterways cloudy or turbid. Cloudy water makes it difficult for fish to see and feed, soil in the water is abrasive against fish gills and sediment can smother fish eggs. Bacterial contamination from pet and livestock waste makes rivers and lakes unsafe for swimming and other types of recreation. Yard waste decomposing in lakes and streams consumes the oxygen needed by aquatic organisms, and the decomposed plant matter increases the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water, spurring the growth of aquatic weeds.
Simple steps can make a big difference.
Recycling used oil, using lawn chemicals sparingly, mowing your grass no shorter than two inches, washing your car on the lawn, collecting pet waste and keeping fallen leaves out of the gutter until they are collected all help improve water quality. Based on the feedback from volunteers, I'd estimate that nearly 10,000 storm drain inlets were stenciled this spring. In some cases I could not fill specific stencil orders because the demand was so high. About the author Pamela Packer coordinates the Water Action Volunteers program for the Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service.