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Falling
leaves bring water quality concerns.
Autumn has arrived with its cool crisp nights,
bright days, and falling leaves. Did you know that
tree leaves are a source of phosphorus, the nutrient
that turns lakes and wetlands green with algae?
In natural settings, phosphorus in fallen leaves is
recycled back into the soil when the leaves
decompose. But in cities and towns, where much of
the land is paved, tree leaves that fall or are
raked into the street release phosphorus into runoff
from rain. The rain then carries the phosphorus to
surface waters through the storm sewer.
Keeping our streets clean is important for keeping
our lakes clean. Excessive algae growth looks bad,
smells bad, and makes fishing, swimming and boating
unpleasant.
The leaves themselves can also cause problems.
Streams choked with rotting leaves lose oxygen and
fish habitat. This is particularly a problem in
urban or channelized streams where physical habitat
degradation has removed the bugs and critters that
might eat the leaves and nourish an aquatic food
chain.
Leaf clogged drains also cause people problems.
They can lead to localized flooding when street
drains become clogged. Debris and detritus from
the leaves in collect in gutters and catch basins,
reducing storage space for storm water and
increasing maintenance costs for our communities.
Following are some simple steps residents can take
to reduce fall water quality problems and runoff of
phosphorus that spurs algae growth:
Things you can do at home:
Rake
or sweep leaves out of your street and away from
storm drains. This also keeps the drains from
clogging during fall storms.
If
your community has leaf pickup, place your leaves at
the edge of your yard near the street but NOT in the
street. If there is a schedule, try to rake as
close to your scheduled pick up day as you can.
Keep the drains clear.
Compost leaves in your yard if possible. A mulching
mower can handle light leaf cover, placing it right
back into your lawn. Or, a compost pile can be used
to create new soil for your garden. Save money on
the bags of phosphorus fertilizer you won’t need to
buy!
If you
can’t use the leaves at home and your town doesn’t
pick them up, take them to a yard waste collection
site -- never dispose of in lakes, wetlands or
buffer areas.
Keep
the street and paved areas clean of other materials
that contain phosphorus, such as grass clippings and
eroded soil.
DO NOT
BURN YOUR LEAVES. Indiana has an Open Burning ban
in effect in Lake and Porter County to protect and
improve our air quality. Some municipalities ban
leaf burning as well. Why?
Smoke from five pounds of
leaves contains about one pound of air pollution.
This harms our environment and our neighbors,
especially those with asthma and other breathing
difficulties.
For links to leaf pickup and disposal information in
your community click
here.
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