Everything we do on land and how we use our land affects our waterways because water runs downhill and picks up pollutants along the way. See the Western New York Stormwater Coalition's webpage for more information about ways you can personally prevent stormwater pollution.
Check out the following educational resources to learn more about how your actions and your neighbor's actions impact the water we drink, fish, play in, or that wildlife relies upon.
- LEWPA Brochure - General LEWPA brochure
Septic System Maintenance:
- Your Septic System: How It Functions and How to Care for It Brochure - Improperly functioning tanks can pollute our stream and beaches.
- Septic System Maintenance website - Properly maintaining your septic system helps keep our environment clean and can save you money!
Municipal and Elected Official Outreach:
- visit our Municipal Training webpage for videos, resources, and organization contacts.
Winter Outreach:
- Road Salt StoryMap - Learn how to be Salt Smart to protect our watershed. A little goes a long way. More salt doesn't necessarily make the sidewalks or roads more safe. One large coffee mug of salt can melt the ice on 10 sidewalk squares or about 20ft of driveway. Follow @FreshietheFrog on Facebook or Instagram for more tips about #SaltSmart.
Spring Outreach:
- Stormwater Ditch Brochure - Learn how to maintain your stormwater ditch to protect water quality
- Establishing and Preserving Riparian Buffers - Streambank plantings can help improve water quality by reducing erosion, absorbing nutrients, and providing habitat for fish and wildlife
- Plastic Pollution: Say No to Single-Use Plastics Brochure - Keep water clean by using fewer single-use plastics
Summer Outreach:
- Healthy Lawns - Learn about ways to manage your lawn with fewer chemicals
- Defend the Dunes brochure - Natural sand dunes along the coast provide a valuable resiliency resource. Stay off of them to protect dune grasses.
- Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) - HABs can be found locally in smaller lakes and streams, as well as in the western portion of Lake Erie. Check out the Great Lakes Commission's Great Lakes HABs Collaborative for more information. You can also see if there are any reported HABs near you in New York State.
Fall Outreach:
- Managing Yard Waste Brochure - Do not rake your leaves into the street, stormwater ditches, or waterways. Leaves contain phosphorus and sometimes bacteria from pet waste. When it rains, they are carried down the ditches or down the street to storm drains (catch basins) that may lead directly to our waterways. They can also clog the storm drains and cause localized flooding. Make sure to manage your yard waste responsibly. Consider starting a compost pile in your yard to recycle your leaves and create beneficial soil for your garden or use a mower to mulch them into your lawn.
Coastal Resources:
- New York Sea Grant has put together some resources for those who own property or live along the coast of the Great Lakes. Check out their webpages and fact sheets on lake seiches, shoreline erosion, and native planting guides to protect your property.
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also has resources on coastal erosion control design and a coastal homeowner handbook.
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