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Did you know that the Mississippi River provides drainage for 41 percent of the continental United States?  This means that if a single drop of rain falls anywhere in this area, which includes all or part of 31 states and two Canadian provinces, it becomes a part of the Mississippi River Watershed.  The fate of [...]

Often, homeowners apply fertilizers to help out lawns that don’t naturally receive enough nutrients. Fertilizer helps to optimize grass growth, but you can have too much of a good thing. Over-fertilizing or improperly applying fertilizers can lead to excess nutrients in the soil, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which can degrade water quality. These nutrients [...]

A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey found elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in many streams and groundwater supplies across the country. Elevated levels were most often found in streams near agricultural areas, particularly in the Northeast, Midwest and Northwest, as well as near urban areas. In many cases, concentrations of nitrogen and [...]

Rain gardens can cut down on the amount of pollution reaching creeks and streams by up to 30 percent. A rain garden is a planted depression that allows rainwater runoff from artificial urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways and lawn areas to be absorbed. This reduces runoff by allowing storm water to soak into the [...]

In times of drought, a rain garden is one way to put what rain we do receive to good use. A rain garden is a landscaped area of low-maintenance native plants designed to collect and use rainwater. They require less maintenance and fewer chemicals than lawns. Instead of allowing rainwater to flow from your home [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip! When the snow melts or the rain falls, where does the water go?  On a typical city block – with pavement and rooftops – more than half runs off into storm drains instead of soaking into the soil. On the way to the storm drain, water picks [...]

Did you know that groundwater provides one quarter of New Yorkers with their drinking water, totaling around 900 million gallons of water dailyWhen rain falls, some of the water ends up in lakes and rivers, some of it is used by plants, some of it evaporates back into the atmosphere, and some seeps through the [...]

When rain falls, some of the water ends up in lakes and rivers, some of it is used by plants, some of it evaporates back into the atmosphere, and some seeps through the ground into aquifers – large, natural underground water storage areas.  We call the water stored in aquifers “groundwater.”  It is an important [...]

What looks like a shrimp, is related to crabs and lobsters, and is found only in small freshwater springs in Rock Creek Park?  Hay’s Spring Amphipod – a tiny, blind, bacteria and fungus-eating crustacean.  Both Hay’s Spring amphipod and Kenk’s amphipod are found only in the District of Columbia, surviving among wet leaves in areas [...]

Americans fill-up one billion water glasses from the tap each day, and water utilities treat more than 34 billion gallons of water daily.  While our tap water is generally safe, naturally-occurring pollutants and pollutants from humans and animals can impact drinking water quality. Viewer Tip: The best way to protect your water and health is [...]

In the 1990′s, the amount of impervious surface – paved areas such as roads, driveways, and sidewalks – increased five times faster than the population in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed! By 2000, more than 860,000 acres of land (about 1,343 square miles) was covered in pavement, and it is expected that an additional 250,000 acres [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwaterand snowmelt to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through storm [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwaterand snow melt to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwaterand snow melt to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwaterand snow melt to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwaterand snow melt to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwaterand snow melt to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwater to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through storm drains [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwaterand snow melt to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through [...]

When rain falls on natural areas, it slowly soaks into the ground where it recharges groundwater supplies that eventually feed some rivers and streams. In urban areas, however, large amounts of pavement cause rainwater to run off roads, driveways, and sidewalks quickly. Instead of seeping into the ground, this water is carried through storm drains [...]