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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 [...]

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.
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The United States contains about 40 million acres of coastal wetlands. Coastal wetlands such as salt marshes that provide critical habitat – food, water and shelter – for many species of fish, birds and other animals. Compared to other coastal states, Florida, Texas, California and Louisiana have lost the most coastal marshland. California alone has [...]

May is National Wetlands Month! The United States contains about 40 million acres of coastal wetlands, most of which are found in the Southeast. Coastal wetlands such as salt marshes that provide critical habitat – food, water and shelter – for many species of fish, birds and other animals. Compared to other coastal states, Florida, [...]

May is American Wetlands Month! The United States contains about 40 million acres of coastal wetlands. Coastal wetlands such as salt marshes that provide critical habitat – food, water and shelter – for many species of fish, birds and other animals. From 1998 and 2004, nearly 60,000 acres of these coastal wetlands disappeared per year. [...]

In the United States, soil is eroding at roughly 17 times the rate it is formed!  Soil erosion is a natural process where soil is moved by water or wind.  Soil can impact water quality, reducing a stream or lake’s ability to store water and support plant growth. 
Viewer Tip: You can prevent soil [...]

Did you know that because of impervious surfaces like pavement and rooftops, a typical city block generates more than five times more runoff than a woodland area of the same size?  Much of the land surface in urban and suburban areas is covered by buildings and pavements, which do not allow rain or snow melt [...]

Want to volunteer to keep your neighborhood clean?  Adopt a street!  Individuals or groups have the opportunity to “adopt” a section of road in pledging to keep it free of debris.  Controlling litter and debris not only makes our landscapes more beautiful, it also helps protect water quality by keeping trash and other debris out [...]

Want to create an aesthetically pleasing landscape while improving the health of your watershed?  Wildflower meadows are a great alternative to lawns. They also provide excellent opportunities for storm water management, promoting groundwater infiltration, water quality treatment and flood control.  Using native plants in a meadow helps to preserve native species and biodiversity, creating a [...]

When it rains and water flows out of yards or over pavements, it travels into storm drains, which carry water directly to our rivers, lakes and ocean untreated. Pollutants  that are picked up by rain water along the way can degrade water quality suffers and even cause beach closures.  Two common sources of  water pollution [...]

Even if you don’t live on or near a lake, wetland or creek, there are many ways you can protect and improve water quality at home!  In urban and suburban areas, the streets are linked to lakes and wetlands through stormwater drainage systems.  Water runs off the street rapidly, picks up pollutants and runs into [...]

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) – an international education and outreach program to involve the public in monitoring and protecting [...]

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) – an international education and outreach program to involve the public in monitoring and protecting [...]

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) – an international education and outreach program to involve the public in monitoring and protecting [...]

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) – an international education and outreach program to involve the public in monitoring and protecting [...]

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) – an international education and outreach program to involve the public in monitoring and protecting [...]

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) – an international education and outreach program to involve the public in monitoring and protecting [...]