What can I do for the rivers?
15 Simple ideas to improve water quality in your community
“I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do. ”
--Edmund Everett Hale.
1. Get involved in local planning efforts and encourage your local leaders to adopte water-friendly policies such as:
2. Use Water Responsibly.
3. Maintain your septic system.
4. Reduce your lawn’s impact on water quality
5. Use less toxic cleaning supplies
6. Get involved in Citizen Monitoring or support local watershed groups:
7. 9. Reduce stormwater runoff from your property. According to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, "Fifty percent of the rain that falls in Virginia finds its way into the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers, picking up fertilizers and toxic chemicals on the way. Slow down runoff by minimizing the number of paved around your home. Install porous surfaces, such as gravel driveways and brick walkways, that allow rainwater to drain into the ground and recharge groundwater supplies." Learn more about what rain gardens are and how to make a rain garden.
11. When purchasing a home, help leave farm and forest lands intact and productive by considering the ease and environmental benefits of houses that are on smaller lots, close to town centers. Click here to find out more.
12. Establish your home in a community that requires less driving, encourages walking and bicycling and has public transit to schools and shops as well as opportunities for carpooling.
