A Citizen’s Guide to Lawn Fertilizer True or False: "More is better" when applying lawn fertilizer. False! Over-fertilizing is a problem contributing to stormwater pollution in most rivers. Without realizing it, many landowners are applying fertilizers and pesticides when their lawns don’t even need them! While applying an appropriate amount of fertilizer is usually okay, it’s important to take care when adding chemicals to your lawn so that we can keep our rivers and streams healthy.

A Citizen's Guide to Native Landscape Many of the grasses planted most often for lawns aren’t the best for protecting water quality. Native plants--those naturally found in Michigan landscapes--actually help improve water quality, and they’re an attractive alternative to turfgrass. Natives generally have deeper roots, which absorb runoff and break down pollutants that would otherwise go straight into storm drains and rivers. Native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers encourage a healthy yard, and require much less maintenance than nonnatives or turfgrass!

A Citizen's Guide to Stormwater Michigan rivers and tributaries stretch across hundreds of square miles in Michigan, including highlands and lowlands. The rivers carry rain and snowmelt runoff, or stormwater runoff, into inland lakes and the Great Lakes. The quantity of stormwater entering our rivers, lakes, and streams along with the pollutants it carries can degrade aquatic habitat and water quality. We can all take simple steps to reduce stormwater pollution. After all, the cheapest way to stop pollution is at the source. Information here was taken from The Stormwater Tip Card Series, funded by a grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for the Bear Creek Restoration Project.

What is stormwater pollution and where does it come from? Actually, it comes from all of us. Even if we don’t mean to, many of our everyday actions add to stormwater pollution. Stormwater picks up oil, metals and salts, pet waste, fertilizer, grass clippings and other materials left on sidewalks and streets before it enters a catch basin. In most areas with storm sewer systems, this polluted runoff washes from the catch basins straight into the nearest lake or river without being treated. Stormwater is different than wastewater from toilets and sinks, which goes to a treatment plant before being discharged into the river. What else is polluting Michigan's rivers? Bacteria is also a serious problem. E.coli is the strain ofbacteria that people hear about most, because it indicates the presence of other disease-causing bacteria. E.coli lives in the digestive systems of humans and animals, and can be found in sewage. In some places, sanitary sewers have been incorrectly connected to storm drains, causing sewage to enter our waterways. Cracks and leaks also allow stormwater to get into sanitary sewers during major storms, overwhelming our treatment plants and causing sewage overflows. Fixing these problems is expensive and time-consuming, but our communities are working hard to correct them.

	5 SIMPLE WAYS YOU CAN HELP MICHIGAN RIVERS
	Use a pooper scooper! Bacteria, parasites and viruses from pet waste can easily wash into storm drains and end up in the river without being treated.
Limit your pesticide and fertilizer use. Pesticides are one of the biggest pollutants of all. Limit fertilizer use, and make it a habit to sweep your grass clippings onto the lawn rather than into a catch basin. See tip cards #2 and #3 for more information on lawn care.
	Check your vehicles for fuel and oil leaks. When it rains, grease and oil drippings wash into storm drains, and go straight into our rivers and streams.
Wash your car on the lawn or go to a car wash (where the water goes to a wastewater treatment plant). Dirt and oils you wash off can harm fish and animals if it goes straight in the storm drain. Grass filters pollutants — and you’ll water your lawn at the same time!
	Only Rain Down the Drain! In other words, use trash cans! Even if it means a slight inconvenience for you, it’s better off for everyone who shares Michigan's rivers.

One of the most significant, yet unrecognized groups of water contaminants is storm water pollutants. When it rains, storm water runs over yards, streets, roads, highways, parking lots, parks, and playgrounds, carrying with it everything in its path, including debris and pollutants. Eventually, the water will travel to a stream, either over land or via a storm drain. Storm drains are frequently located alongside streets and parking lots. Unlike sanitary sewers that divert water to a treatment plant directly from your home, storm drains lead directly to surrounding lakes and rivers without any type of treatment. All the debris and pollutants that were picked up by storm water runoff, end up in your lakes and streams!

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Program

The Clean Water Act of 1972 set up the NPDES. The NPDES program required communities around the country with urbanized areas to begin tackling the issue of storm water pollution. In recent years, several communities in Kent and Ottawa Counties were required to develop an illicit discharge elimination program (IDEP). The IDEP was required to include an investigation of the waters of the state to identify, and eventually eliminate, illicit discharges and connections to the storm sewer.

What is an Illicit Discharge or Connection?

An illicit discharge is any discharge to the storm sewer system that is not composed entirely of rain water or groundwater. Examples include dumping of motor vehicle fluids, household hazardous wastes, grass clippings, leaf litter, industrial waste, restaurant wastes, or any other non-storm water waste into a storm water system. An illicit connection is the discharge of pollutants or non-storm water materials into a storm sewer system via a pipe or other direct connection. Sources of illicit connections may include sanitary sewer taps, wash water for laundromats or carwashes, and other similar sources.

How Do I Spot an Illicit Discharge or Connection?

• Look for makeshift pipes or hoses that lead to a storm drain or body of water.
• Watch for stains, unusual odors, structural damage to streets or gutters, and abnormal vegetative growth in nearby lakes and streams.
• If you see an illicit discharge or connection, REPORT IT to your community. The Illicit Discharge and Connection Ordinance, adopted by your community, gives them legal authority to inspect and sample discharge, as well as enforce sanctions for violations.