How does the way you take care of your lawn affect our streams? How much fertilizer do you need to put on your lawn? What is the best type of fertilizer? Is there a way to maintain a healthy lawn for lower cost and effort? Is there an alternative to weed control with toxic chemicals?
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The answers to these questions and others will be presented at a "River Friendly" Lawn Care Workshop on April 29.
To reserve a seat and an information folder, call the Van Buren Township Building and Planning Department at 699 - 8913, or e-mail dswallow@vanburen-mi.org.
The workshop will be in the Otisville-Sheldon Room at Van Buren Township Hall, 46425 Tyler Rd, Van Buren Township. Pre-registration for the workshop is encouraged, but registration on April 29 will begin at 6:15 p.m., followed presentations from regional experts and Q&A from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The workshop is sponsored by the Woods Creek Friends, partnering with Van Buren Township, the Huron River Watershed Council and the Wayne County Department of Environment.
Woods Creek Friends is a group of local Belleville residents who first met in July 2007 to discuss and act upon issues affecting Woods Creek, which contains 27 miles of streams directly south of Belleville Lake, in the northwest reaches of the Lower Huron Watershed.
The members of the Woods Creek Friends meet monthly at members' homes to coordinate ongoing projects to assess the quality of the creek, and to increase public attention that highlights the importance of caring for an important natural resource. New members are very welcome.
The workshop will feature presentations by Matt Best, Environmental Specialist for the Wayne County Department of the Environment, and Ric Lawson, Watershed Planner for the Huron River Watershed Council.
Workshop topics include:
Proper fertilization to protect water quality
Environmental weed management
Lawn renovation and core aeration
Grub prevention and grub treatment options
Many homeowners like to have "a little piece of heaven" in their yards. Having a nice green lawn in your backyard is part of that ideal for homeowners in Metro Detroit. Fertilizers are a way to get that ideal-looking lawn.
But the achievement of that ideal using many types of available fertilizers and weed-killers comes at a price to the environment: over-application of lawn fertilizer is a significant source of nutrient pollution to urban water systems like Belleville Lake, the Huron River Watershed or Woods Creek.
High levels of phosphorus in our lakes and streams can lead to algae "blooms" and excessive growth of aquatic plants. Excessive plant growth depletes oxygen in the water, degrading the aquatic habitat for small invertebrate animals and fish.
Applying fertilizer beyond the recommended rates, applying before a rainstorm, applying to impervious surfaces like sidewalks and driveways and adding fertilizer to soils already rich in phosphorus all contribute to a watershed's phosphorus problem.
The fertilizer that is over-applied to a lawn runs off the lawn, suspended in the water leaving the property. Studies by the Wayne County's Rouge Program Office have found that 60 percent of the annual phosphorus inputs to the river occur during rain events. This means the water coming off lawns, streets, roofs and sidewalks is carrying phosphorus into our waterways. What you do to your lawn has an impact on the environment.
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