|
>
Department >
Home >
Natural Resources
Natural Resources Extension Program
Control Pollution - Water Quality
Modified from Living on the Land
2001: Stewardship for Small Acreages
Project Leaders: Susan Donaldson, University of Nevada,
Cooperative Extension
and Sherman Swanson, University of Nevada, Reno
"Water diversions and
dams reduce water flow, often increase water
temperature and affect vegetation and wildlife.."
|
Tips For Controlling Pollution
Keep garbage, pest and animal wastes, and yard wastes
out of roadside ditches, storm drains and waterways.
Never dump debris of any type into a creek!
Never dispose of household wastes such as paint thinner,
motor oil, or pesticides down household drains or stormwater
drains. Storm drains often empty directly into the nearest
waterbody.
Follow label instructions when using fertilizers and
pesticides. Homeowners who overapply waste money, may
damage plants or animals they value, can pollute air,
water and soil and may encourage pesticide-resistance
in pest species.
If you have a septic tank, have it pumped about every
three years on average.
Avoid diverting or damming the creek. Water diversions
and dams reduce water flow, often increase water temperature
and affect vegetation and wildlife.
Pave only where necessary. Pavement increases runoff
during storms and peak flows, resulting in flooding
and erosion. Vegetated ground encourages water to soak
in and recharge soil moisture.
If you have livestock, exclude them from entering drainage
ditches, creeks and streams or manage them carefully
to avoid overgrazing or trampling problems.
If you have livestock, collect and compost or dispose
of the waste from corraled animals to prevent runoff
into surface or ground water supplies.
Also control pet access to creeks and riparian vegetation.
Dog and cat feces add excessive nutrients and bacterial
pollution to water, which decreases water quality, causes
unpleasant odors, and can also cause human health problems.
Cats and dogs can be aggressive wildlife predators.
Maintain a buffer of natural vegetation between pastures
or paddocks and creeks or ponds.
Stabilize erosion-prone areas of your property and
control erosion by planting ground covers or native
vegetation. The use of native or adapted vegetation
reduces the cost of yard maintenance, requiring less
water and fewer chemical fertilizers.
Check your rain gutters and other pipes to see where
they drain. Make sure they do not carry water directly
into the creek.
Compost household organic wastes if you have the space
on your property, or begin a community compost program.
By producing "garden gold," you’ll save
money and reduce the use of fertilizers that can leach
into streams, ponds and ground water.
Learn about your local watershed and how it is interconnected
with your immediate neighbors, the surrounding valleys,
and ultimately the outside world.
Minimize tillage in agriculture and garden areas and
leave crop and garden residue in place or till it under
to add organic matter and soil tilth.
|
