by Stacy James, Water Resources Scientist
When rain falls and snow melts, the resulting stormwater runoff eventually winds up in rivers and lakes. As stormwater travels, it picks up trash, pesticides, and other pollutants that then contaminate Illinois’ waterways. Urban stormwater isn’t just dirty, there’s a lot of it! In highly developed areas, more than half of precipitation becomes runoff because it cannot soak into the pavement and roads that cover most of the ground. This leads to an unnaturally high influx of water into rivers and lakes, causing flooding, eroding shorelines and streambanks, and property damage. Subsequently, most urban waterways are not very healthy. {Continue Reading »}
by Stacy James, Water Resources Scientist
For every inch of rain that falls, about a half-gallon of stormwater runoff is produced from one square foot of roof or pavement. That’s a lot of water, and most of it eventually winds up in our waterways. Along the way, the stormwater picks up oil, trash, bird droppings, pesticides, and other pollutants from the ground. {Continue Reading »}
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Rainwater Harvesting is the hottest new thing in water conservation and stormwater management. Aquascape Designs is hosting a rainwater harvesting workshop at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, IL.
On July 17, they will have several presentations on how their RainXchange systems work and how they benefit water quality, stormwater, and water conservation. This workshop is only $50.
On July 18, they will be installing 30+ systems in one neighborhood in Sugar Grove. They will “transform” this traditional neighborhood into a “green” neighborhood in one day. This day is free and you can come and go as you please and see how these systems are installed and how they work.
Thanks to the 11 citizen activists who attended our March 14th training on how to monitor construction sites for excessive soil erosion and stormwater runoff. The training was held in beautiful McHenry County north of Chicago, where the numerous streams and wetlands abut new developments that are all-too-often in violation of stormwater regulations. Now that these activists are armed with knowledge and resources, they will be “inspecting” construction projects in their communities and reporting problems. This effort will make developers aware that we expect them to be good neighbors and do their part to protect Illinois’ waterways. {Continue Reading »}
- PrairieRainHarverster.com
Rain and melting snow running off parking lots, driveways, and streets collect and transport fertilizers, pet wastes, oil and other pollutants into our rivers and streams via storm drains. Homeowners have several options available to help reduce the amount of stormwater running off their property: using permeable materials for sidewalks, patios and driveways, planting rain gardens and installing rain barrels.
During warmer months average household water use increases, and approximately 40 percent of that amount is for watering outdoor lawns and gardens. Installing one or more rain barrels not only helps capture water that would otherwise become polluted before entering storm drains, it gives you a new source of water for household uses, helping you to use less water from your tap and to lower your water bills.
Support PRN…Protect Our Rivers…Install a Rain Barrel Today
Through a generous donation by Austin Grammer, Prairie Rivers Network has several 55-gallon Prairie Rain Harvester rain barrels which we are selling for $85. All of the proceeds from the sale of these barrels will go to PRN. {Continue Reading »}
