Even if you are not ready to implement the stormwater control measures discussed on the Stormwater > General Practices page, there are many simple things you can do to make your lawn more stormwater friendly! This short video is a great introduction.
Key Takeaways:
The NC Clean Water Education Partnership’s Tips from the Sodfather web page is a great resource with extensive information about green lawn care, herbicide and pesticide precautions, water saving techniques and landscaping.
If you do want to proactively manage stormwater at your home, Riverlink’s WaterRICH Guide provides easy-to-follow, low-cost instructions for:
It also provides a list of WNC contractors for more advanced landscape design and installations like bioretention, wetlands, and pervious pavers.
Finally, it includes a detailed WNC plant list for different types of stormwater control measures.
The NC Cooperative Extension also offers an easy to use residential rain garden guide that describes how to determine soil drainage, and site, size, and construct a rain garden. It also offers a planting schematic for different drainage timeframes, and describes commonmaintenance tasks. Native plants are encouraged since these require the least maintenance and provide critical wildlife habitat and food, and invasive species should be avoided. NCSU’s Going Native website provides details on native plant landscaping.
Rain Barrels are another simple addition to your home that reduce runoff and provide water for your landscape and other outdoor water needs. For example, a 1000 sqft. roof sheds 625 gallons in a 1” rainfall. Refer to this factsheet for more information about water harvesting and rain barrels. Riverlink’s WaterRICH Guide, referenced above, describes how to build your own rain barrel, and several communities and counties have discounted rain barrel programs, see Hendersonville and Buncombe County for examples.
While there are currently no official Trout Friendly Lawn Care programs in North Carolina, these organizations can provide more information and ideas for how you can be trout friendly too!
Long Tom Watershed Council Wood River Land Trust