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Our urban and suburban development yields miles of paved roads and acres parking lots. Rain water runoff from these surfaces has now become a major source of water pollution in our rivers and streams.  How can we slow down the flow? Trees are a big help. Their leaves [...]

You’ve probably heard about carbon footprints, but have you ever thought about water footprints? Freshwater is used for many common activities like showering, watering lawns and brushing teeth.  But did you know that gallons of “hidden” water also go into making many of the products we use every day?  Water is used to needed to [...]

Did you know that you can look for the WaterSense label to save water, energy and money on faucets, showerheads and toilets when remodeling your bathroom? Just by purchasing WaterSense labeled products, consumers saved more than $2.5 million in utility bills and enough water fill the Empire State building 130 times in 2009.
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Look [...]

Did you know that up to 50 percent of the water you sprinkle on your lawn and garden could be wasted from evaporation and runoff? July and August are peak water use months because so many people water outdoors.
Viewer Tip: Remember that if you water wisely, you can save a lot of blue while [...]

Are you for Water? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking you to take the “I’m for Water” pledge this summer and try a few simple changes to save water at home.

Check toilets for silent leaks; fixing an old flapper can sometimes save big.
Twist on a faucet aerator and save water and energy without a [...]

When it rains, water flowing over land picks up dirt, oil and grease, fertilizers, pesticides and other pollutants.  In some areas, this water flows into storm drains that eventually discharge into our lakes and streams. In other areas, it flows directly into surface waters. Either way, polluted rain water can impact water quality and wildlife [...]

Are you tempted to clean up fallen trees and branches on your lakeshore property after a storm? Believe it or not, these fallen items are actually important components of lake habitats! Above the water, fallen trees and branches provide a place for ducks and turtles to soak up the sun; they may also be used [...]

Shoreline habitats around lakes – both on land and in shallow water – provide important habitat for fish and wildlife. Healthy plants along shorelines also protect water quality by absorbing and filtering pollutants carried from land by wind and rain.
Viewer Tip: When lake shorelines become too developed, they may no longer be able to support [...]

The nights of the South are often hot, humid and still. Winds typically die down at night and allow for the nocturnal flights of an amazing variety of insect life. Moths are some of our most fascinating nocturnal creatures. They range in size, coloration and behavior. Like butterflies, moths go through stages – from egg [...]

Winter might be the last thing you think of when you’re enjoying fresh summer produce, but with a little planning now you can enjoy fresh food from your own garden all year long. The key to a fall or winter harvest is to seed crop in July and August to achieve adequate growth by the [...]

Did you know that an average garden hose flows at at a rate of 10 to 16 gallons per minute? A broken sprinkler head wastes approximately 300 gallons of water per hour!
Viewer Tip: With less than one percent of freshwater available for human use, water conservation is extremely important.  Help reduce your outdoor water [...]

The average American family of four uses 400 gallons of water per day – much of that water is used in the bathroom.  Installing low flow shower heads and faucet aerators are some of the most effective water conservation measures you can take at home. These devices can reduce water consumption by as much as [...]

Urban areas have more buildings, roads, parking lots and sidewalks than rural areas.  These hard surfaces trap heat, raising temperatures in cities by as much as five degrees Fahrenheit.  Higher temperatures in cities – known as “heat islands” – can increase the amount of energy used for air conditioning, increase air pollution levels and raise [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 84 lakes in the Xeric Region (covering portions of 11 western states and all of Nevada) to characterize the condition of more than 802 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

37 percent of lakes in the Xeric Region are in good [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 155 lakes in the Western Mountains Region (covering the Cascade, Sierra Nevada and Pacific Coast ranges, the Gila Mountains, and the Bitterroot and Rocky Mountains) to characterize the condition of more than 4,100 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

More than [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 65 lakes in the Northern Plains Region (covering western North and South Dakota, eastern Montana, northeast Wyoming and a small part of northern Nebraska) to characterize the condition of more than 2,600 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

Just one percent [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 128 lakes in the Southern Plains Region (covering central and northern Texas, western Kansas and Oklahoma, and parts of Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico) to characterize the condition of more than 3,100 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

Only 34 percent [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 137 lakes in the Temperate Plains Region (covering eastern North and South Dakota, Iowa, western Minnesota, parts of Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, western Ohio, central Indiana, Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin) to characterize the condition of more than 6,300 lakes throughout the area. [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 148 lakes in the Upper Midwest Region (covering northern and southeastern Minnesota, two-thirds of Wisconsin, northern Indiana and most of Michigan) to characterize the condition of more than 15,500 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

More than 90 percent of lakes [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 116 lakes in the Coastal Plains Region (covering the Mississippi Delta, north along the Ohio River, Florida, eastern Texas and the Atlantic Seaboard to New Jersey) to characterize the condition of more than 7,000 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

47 [...]