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Each year, World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd. Wetlands come in many forms and go by many names – estuaries, bogs, mangrove swamps, vernal pools, marshes, riparian wetlands, cypress swamps, playa lakes and more! Wetland areas improve water quality, provide flood protection and support tons of fish, wildlife and plants. If you’ve been [...]

The holiday season is a time for happy gatherings of family and friends. But a house full of guests can also result in higher energy bills, increased water use and stressed septic systems. Try these easy tips for a happy, healthy and environmentally-friendly holiday gathering. Heating Help: Keep everyone warm and save energy at the [...]

Nitrogen and phosphorus are part of healthy aquatic habitats. These nutrients support the growth of underwater plants that provide oxygen and habitat for fish and other animals. They also support algae growth, which is a source of food for many fish and shellfish. Aquatic habitats can become unbalanced, however, when too much nitrogen and phosphorus [...]

About 80 percent of Great Lakes shoreline in the United States is privately rather than publicly owned. That means most of the shoreline is vulnerable to impacts like water pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus in lawn fertilizers which can encourage algae build-up.  The rapid flow of rain water runoff into the lakes resulting from near-shore [...]

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 [...]

Heavy rains are no friend to our local ponds and rivers. Rain water rushes down gutter spouts into streets and storm drains, carrying oil, fertilizer and other pollutants with it. Viewer Tip: Make precipitation your passion by adding a rain barrel in your yard! Rain barrels collect water for free, saving you big on your [...]

Although we tend to use more water outdoors during the summer months, up to 70 percent of the water we need at home is used indoors. Viewer Tip: Weather keeping you inside? Keep these water-saving tips in mind: Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the [...]

Holiday dinner guests often mean extra food and dirty dishes—which can mean extra water used in your home. But if every household dropped their daily water use by 10 gallons this holiday season, it would save more than one billion gallons of water—enough for one million households with dishwashers to wash their dishes for a year. Viewer [...]

Rain keeps our forests in the Pacific Northwest green. Raindrops also wash off our roofs, across lawns and down onto streets and parking lots, carrying chemicals from our yards and automobiles to local waterways. These chemicals are absorbed by small organisms that are eaten by fish, birds and animals and can disrupt reproduction and ability to fight [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip. A recent study looked at the impacts of driveways, sidewalks, streets and other hard surfaces on life in streams near urban areas across the country. When just 10 percent of a watershed is covered by pavement, aquatic life declines in streams by as much as 33 percent. [...]

A 2009 survey of Texas residents found that four in 10 Texans admitted to littering in the past month. More than half of those people littered while driving or riding in a car; others littered when a trashcan could not be located or when walking or playing outside. Litter is more than an eyesore – [...]

Leaves in the streets this fall equal green lakes next summer. According to the Madison Area Municipal Storm Water Partnership, when it rains, any yard debris in the street gets washed directly into the nearest lake or stream via storm drains. Even if the leaves never move, rainwater running over and through them makes a [...]

Did you know that it takes a considerable amount of energy to heat water for tasks such as showering or washing? In fact, letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours. Viewer Tip:  To help reduce your gas or electric bills [...]

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 [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip. 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 [...]

Beavers are excellent builders: they are the only other animal besides humans that create their own wetlands! Beavers live in riparian areas – near the edges of streams. They build dams that stop the flow of water from small streams. Eventually, wetland plants move into the area, creating habitat for animals such as deer, birds [...]

A bog is a type of wetland found mostly in the northern United States that prevents flooding by absorbing excess rainwater. Unlike other types of wetlands, bogs get all or most of their water from precipitation. They are created by the plants that grow within them. Sphagnum moss, also known as peat moss, forms a [...]

Seagrasses are submerged flowering plants found in shallow waters along coasts. Fifty-eight species of seagrasses exist around the world, and six are found in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Florida waters contain the two largest seagrass beds in the continental United States: the Florida Keys and the Florida Big Bend regions. Seagrass beds hold coastal [...]

Seagrasses are submerged flowering plants found in shallow waters along coasts. Fifty-eight (58) species of seagrasses exist around the world, and six are found in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Seagrass beds hold coastal soil in place and reduce the severity of waves. They provide important habitat – food, water and shelter – for marine [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Botanic Garden produced this 9-minute video, Reduce Runoff: Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In.  The video highlights green techniques such as rain gardens, green roofs and rain barrels to help manage stormwater runoff.  Learn more about protecting water quality. Get the latest Flash Player [...]