In Your Yard
You can make a difference by landscaping your yard with clean water in mind. Check out this information on how.
Plant a Tree
Trees protect water quality, clean our air and provide wildlife habitat. One large tree can eliminate 5,000 gallons of polluted runoff each year, and well placed trees can help reduce energy costs by 15 to 35 percent.
Build a Rain Garden
A rain garden is a shallow, constructed depression that is planted with deep-rooted native plants & grasses. It is located in your landscape to receive runoff from hard surfaces such as a roof, a sidewalk and a driveway. Rain gardens slow down the rush of water from these hard surfaces, holds the water for a short period of time and allows it to naturally infiltrate into the ground.
Rain Barrels
You can help stop the polluted run-off by installing a rain barrel on your down spouts. The water that is caught in the barrels can used to water your garden, lawn or house plants. This saves you a little on your water bill and saves the stream from polluted run-off.
Native Plants for Bay Friendly Gardening
Did you know that you can improve the water quality of our creeks and the Chesapeake Bay just by planting the right types of plants. And Montgomery County and DC will give you money for landscaping with native plants to make your yard Bay Friendly?
Pervious Pavers
When it rains, polluted water runs down the sidewalks, driveways and streets into the storm drains. This water goes directly to the Little Falls creek. You can help keep the water clean by replacing your driveway or sidewalk with "pervious pavers". These alternative paving materials let the water go into the ground.