Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Runoff
There are many things citizens can do to reduce nonpoint
source pollution, including the following: for eutrophication
and runoff, plant grass, trees and shrubs in bare areas. They
will reduce and absorb runoff, and their roots will hold the
soil together, reducing erosion and runoff. Use a rain barrel to
capture some rainfall. Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly.
If you have property along the water, keep a natural shore-
line with marsh vegetation that can absorb runoff, buffer the
water from chemicals, and buffer the property from wind and
storms. Volunteer for marsh restoration plantings or oyster
gardening projects (oysters filter a lot of phytoplankton out of
the water, reducing eutrophication). If you live in a tropical
area, volunteer for mangrove or coral reef restoration projects
if there are any. If you are a boater, use sewage pump-out facil-
ities. Slow down in shallow areas to reduce boat wake erosion
in areas with submerged aquatic vegetation, salt marshes, and
wildlife. If you are a farmer, use conservation tillage or no-till,
plant buffers at the edge of streams, use efficient irrigation sys-
tems, and manage manure. Grow lots of legumes (e.g., peas,
beans, lentils), which use nitrogen from the air and don't need
fertilizer. There are organic farms that use no commercial
fertilizer, spray no chemicals, and reuse all their stormwater.
A farmer named Walden (appropriate name) in York County,
Pennsylvania uses animals to do the work. Chicken waste,
from chickens in mobile pens on wheels, is used to fertilize
the fields; pigs and cattle eat the weeds and graze on the grass.
Litter
Be careful to manage trash. Go on stream or beach walks,
removing trash and debris. Recycle plastic, glass, and paper.
Use alternatives to plastic bags. Go shopping with your own
reusable bags. Avoid single-use, nonrecyclable plastics (cut-
lery, plates, disposable plastic or Styrofoam cups). Travel
with a permanent coffee cup rather than constantly trashing
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