PROTECT YOUR WATERWAYS
2021
HANDBOOK #1
PREPARED BY:
THE CITY OF BROKEN ARROW
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, URBANISM AND SUSTAINABILITY DIVISION
Topic
Topics
LAWN
Whether it’s pet waste, fertilizers, or pesticides, improper use and maintenance has a negative effect on Broken Arrow waterways.
GARDEN
Proper shrub and plant selection, along with good care practices can save you money and save the environment!
ADDITIONS TO YOUR LAWN AND GARDEN
Have you considered composting at home, or collecting rainwater from your roof? It’s easy, cheap, and can make a real difference!
BACKGROUND
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Rain or melted snow runs off buildings, paved surfaces, and lawns becoming polluted stormwater as it picks up vehicle fluids, fertilizers, trash, and much more. This water does not end up at a treatment facility, but instead flows directly into storm drains or straight into creeks, rivers, and lakes, untreated. This collected waste kills or damages plants, fish, and various wildlife, while degrading the quality of our water. Maintaining healthy water systems is crucial for
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DO YOUR PART, ONE DROP AT A TIME!
PESTICIDES
We encounter a variety of pests in our yards, While pesticides can provide some relief, proper use and care is needed to avoid environmental damage.
VEHICLES
From gas and oil leaks on the driveway to products we clean our cars with, vehicle biproducts play a significant roles in everyday water pollution.
SURVEY
Please take the time to fill out a 3-minute survey at the end! This helps the City better understand what environmental topicsyou would like to learn more about along with helping to select future programming opportunities.
community health, as they support a wide variety of life, provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and most importantly, they can ultimately effect our drinking water. You may be interested to learn that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors waterways throughout the United States, including Broken Arrow. Data shows that many of our local waterways are classified as “impaired” due in large part to residential pollutants, including pet waste, fertilizers, pesticides, motor oil, and even sewage discharge. Residential stormwa-
ter pollution is a difficult issue to tackle, because there is not one specific source. It is a combination of activity from each and every one of us. Broken Arrow is a rapidly growing community with a population of 110,000 and over 40,000 housing units. Because our homes and neighborhoods make up such a large part of the cities land area, an important ways for our community to make a change is to start with improving our daily home maintenance habits. The purpose of this handbook is to inform those that live, work, and play in Broken Arrow
on the effects of stormwater pollution and to provide easy to incorporate practices to improve water quality in our neighborhoods. As you proceed through this handbook, you will gain helpful tips to tackle water pollution around your home. The City’s goal is to restore urban water quality, revitalize our community and reconnect people to their waterways. Be a partner with the City of Broken Arrow to ensure we make conscious decisions today that will support present and future generations of our community!
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Lawn
Lawn Hero Images/stock.adobe.com
Our yards are outdoor homes: fun, beautiful, great places to relax. This is also where the bulk of stormwater pollutants come from in our neighborhoods. By taking care of our lawns and gardens properly, we can save money, time, and help reduce our environmental impact. The most common lawn-based pollution issues are over-fertilizing, over-watering, and failure to pick up pet waste. The ground can only absorb so much water. Excess water carries away pollutants while increasing the amount and speed of water flowing to and through our streams. This can cause our stream banks to erode, destroying important
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plant life that is necessary for the ecosystem to survive, and also limits the ability of water to be naturally filtered. The over-applying of fertilizers and pesticides has a continued harmful effect on our water. As excess chemicals are picked up, they create algae blooms in our waterways, causing the depletion of oxygen in waters, pathogens and nitrates in drinking water, and the emission of odors and gases into the air. Without enough oxygen, fish and other aquatic species suffocate. Remember, when using lawn chemicals, it is important to always follow directions. If instead, you use the services of a lawn care company, discuss
what environment-friendly alternatives are available for your lawn. Lastly, picking up after your pet is easy to forget. However, pet waste has countless microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. Some of the organisms are disease- causing and lead to conditions in local water bodies that are unsafe for human recreation and consumption. According to the 2020 National Pet Owners Survey, 44% of U.S. households own dogs. That is a lot - and it goes to show how much pet waste is transported each time it rains. So keep in mind, picking up after your pet is a simple thing you can do to help keep bacteria out of your local waters and keep your neighborhood clean!
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PUT NATURE TO WORK IN YOUR YARD!
YARD TIPS The following are ideas, tips, and tricks to improve your lawn maintenance habits!
WATER IN THE MORNING, BEFORE THE SUN IS HIGH AND HOT
WHEN WATERING, PAY ATTENTION TO AREAS THAT ARE POOLING. THIS IS AN INDICATOR THAT YOU ARE OVERWATE-
RING YOUR LAWN
BE AWARE OF WEATHER PATTERNS IN YOUR AREA. RAINY DAYS MAKE FOR FREE WATERING!
SET MOWERS TO 3” FOR HEALTHIEST LAWN. YOUR LAWN WILL BE MORE DROUGHT TOLERANT AND DISEASE RESISTANT THAN SHORTER GRASS
LEAVE GRASS CLIPPINGS ON YOUR LAWN. THEY REDUCE EVAPORATION AND PROVIDE UP TO 30% OF YOUR LAWN’S
NUTRIENT NEEDS
FILL FERTILIZER SPREADERS ON A HARD SURFACE SO THAT ANY SPILLS CAN BE EASILY CLEANED
SWEEP DEBRIS OFF HARD SURFACES AND SIDEWALK SO IT CANNOT WASH INTO STORM DRAINS AND WATERWAYS
CONSIDER PLANTING SHRUBS AROUND DRIVEWAYS DIRECTING RAIN FROM DOWNSPOUTS TO THESE AREAS
PROPERLY DISPOSE OF PET WASTE BY FLUSHING IT DOWN THE TOILET OR BY PLACING IN THE TRASH
TRADE IN GAS-POWERED EQUIPMENT FOR ELECTRIC OR BATTERY-POWERED PRODUCTS
RELY ON A SOIL TEST TO SHOW WHAT NUTRIENTS YOUR SOIL NEEDS. CONTACT THE OSU EXTENSION OFFICE AT 918-
746-3700 FOR SOIL TEST INFORMATION
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Garden
Gard wavebreak3/stock.adobe.com
People turn to the garden for a variety of reasons: filling open areas, improving the property’s appeal, and even partaking for the many health benefits it provides - all great reasons to garden! But, some people are unaware of just how amazing gardens can be for our environment. Healthy gardens enhance environmental benefits by providing feeding areas for birds, preventing soil erosion, filtering contaminants from rainwater, and absorbing many types of air-born pollutants. With a simple garden you can also grow your own fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs, saving money on produce and improving your family’s
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assessibiity to healthy food. Gardening will also reduce your carbon footprint. If you grow your own fruits, vegetable, and herbs, then you are likely purchasing less of these items at the grocery store, where products usually travel far before ending up in Broken Arrow. It is fair to say that most residents have a desire to keep their garden healthy and productive – a healthy garden can and should be maintained using environment-friendly practices. This process should start with choosing the right planting materials. It is recommended that you select a variety of native plants that are accustomed to the local environment and tend
to require less water to stay healthy. Unlike the grass covering our lawns, gardens have extensive root structures that keep soil intact, reducing erosion, and absorb substantially more water into the ground than grass alone. If these qualities aren’t enough, consider the other wonderful health benefits that come with gardening. Research shows that gardening can greatly reduce stress, fight heart disease, improve your mood, and even boost memory! Plain and simple, it makes us happy. Plant a garden today and prepare to reap the many rewards!
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PLANT RIGHT FOR YOUR SITE!
GARDENING TIPS Following these easy tips can help you have a more productive garden, conserve more water, and generally create a more sustainable lifestyle!
DO NOT OVERWATER YOUR GARDEN - USE SOAKER HOSES THAT RELEASE WATER SLOWLY, ALLOWING NECESSARY TIME
FOR WATER TO PENETRATE THE SOIL
PLANT A RAIN GARDEN OF NATIVE PLANTS, SHRUBS AND TREES THAT REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FERTILIZER NEEDED
AND PROVIDE A WAY FOR WATER TO ABSORB INTO THE GROUND
USE YARD WASTE, WHICH INCLUDES GRASS CLIPPING AND LEAVES, IN MULCH OR COMPOST FOR YOUR GARDEN
ENCOURAGE NATURAL PEST PREDATORS. PLANT A VARIETY OF FLOWERING PLANTS THAT WILL ATTRACT BENEFICIAL
INSECTS, LIKE BUTTERFLIES AND BEES
INCORPORATE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, SUCH AS GRASSED SWALES, FILTER STRIPS, OR BUFFER STRIPS ON
YOUR PROPERTY TO TEMPORARILY STORE STORMWATER RUNOFF BEFORE LEAVING YOUR PROPERTY
INSTALL A RAIN BARREL TO COLLECT RAINWATER - THE RAINWATER CAN LATER BE USED TO WATER YOUR PLANTS AND
LAWN, OR EVEN WASH YOUR CAR
USING MULCH IN YOUR GARDEN IS A WATER-SAVING ESSENTIAL PLANT PERENNIALS - THIS IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
IF YOU HAVE SPACE, WHY NOT PLANT A TREE? THEY CAN PROVIDE WATER RECHARGE, SHADE FOR YOUR YARD, AND
REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION
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The average rain barrel saves homeowners more than 1,000 gallons of waterper year !
Additions to your Lawn and Garden No matter your experience level, there’s a number of ways to improve the effectiveness of your lawn and garden. If you haven’t yet, consider easy to build additions to your lawn and garden that will make your home more self-sustaining! Options include rain barrels, rain gardens, and backyard composting, just to name a few. At Oklahoma landfills, 20% of the waste is from yard debris including grass clippings, leaves, and woody branches. To lower future garbage costs, we need to reduce yard waste going to the landfill. Beginning with rainwater harvesting, there are a number of benefits but the main one is that it is a sustainable water management practice that can be implemented by anyone on many different scales, from a simple rain barrel to a comprehensive harvesting system that integrates with an irrigation system or household plumbing. When you think about it , do we need to use municipally treated water to sprinkle our lawns and landscaping? Definitely not!
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Harvested rainwater is the perfect supplement for watering your garden or washing your car. By using rainwater harvesting systems to supply water for some of our basic needs, we can reduce our dependence on municipally treated water. The next practice is extremely easy to do arorund the home - backyard composting! This is a great tool to recycle food waste waste back into your lawn and garden. Compost supplies nutrients to the soil and can be used to enrich your flower and vegetable gardens. It also improves the soil around trees and shrubs, and can be used as a soil amendment for house plants and planter boxes.. Because compost acts like a sponge, it improves soil structure, resulting in greater water retention, increased water infiltration, less runoff, and increased plant strength during dry times. The final addition to discuss is perhaps one of the best ways to filter pollutant on your property. A rain garden!
Building a rain garden is a good way to reduce localized flooding, standing water issues and unfiltered stormwater runoff leaving your property. Benefits further include pollution control, habitat creation and water conservation. When native plants are included they have the added benefit of attracting and provide shelter and food for helpful wildlife. In fact, rain gardens should always be planted with deep-rooted native plants, which are used to being infiltrated by rain water in wet times and locating water in dry seasons. They are adapted to the local climate, seasons and weather, making themthe most capable to survive. With the growing season right around the c orner, consider these three fun and rewarding additions to your lawn and garden. Who knows, you could see a a reduction on your water and grocery bills!
Alternatives
Austin Marshall/flickr.com
Arlington County/flickr.com
Did you know, watering make up 40% of household water used during the Summer?
trenttsd/flickr.com
Rain Barrel
Rain Garden
Composting
A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores rainwater from downspouts and rooftops for future use watering lawns and gardens. A residential rain barrel can be made using a 55-gallon drum, a garden hose, PVC couplings, screening to remove debris and keep insects out, and other materials that can easily be found at your local hardware stores. They are cheap to make, easy to maintain, and are a perfect supplement to turning the hose on! Rain barrels can help homeowners lower water bills while improving the liveliness of plants, flowers, trees, and lawns. A rain barrel will save an average homeowner about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months.
A rain garden is a planted shallow depression in the landscape that collects and absorbs rainwater runoff from paved areas, roofs and the surrounding landscapes. A rain garden is purposefully created at a lower spot on a property so it can receive runoff after it rains or snows. Its soil and plants are specifically selected to absorb water. Rain gardens provide many benefits to your property, neighborhood and community. They filter pollutants carried by rainwater and improve water quality before it reaches groundwater, rivers, streams and lakes. They also add beauty to the landscape, potentially resulting in an increased property value.
What is compost? Compost is the natural recycling of organic waste, returning organic matter to the soil. It is a simple process that breaks down organic waste such as leaves, grass clipping, vegetable and fruit scraps, wood chips, straw and small twigs, into soil for use in your lawn or garden. Whether you are in town, the suburbs, or out in the country, you can compost. You only need three things: browns (leaves and branches), greens (grass clippings, fruit and vegetable scraps, and coffee grounds) and moisture. Composting will help lower your carbon footprint and, once decomposed, will become excellent fertilizer for your lawn and garden!
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Pesticides
Pest Wirestock/stock.adobe.com
For all poison questions, exposures, and emergencies call Oklahoma Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 Toll Free Pesticides can be an effective tool for controlling certain pests such as insects, weeds and disease. Though they do have their benefits, they come with negative consequences, including environmental pollution. Pesticides are potentially toxic to humans, so be sure you need a pesticide before you use it.
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On-going pest problems are often a sign that your lawn or garden is not getting what it needs to stay healthy. You need to correct the underlying problem to reduce the chance of pests reappearing. Remember, a holistic - or integrated pest management (IPM) - approach is the best way to tackle pest issues. This process begins with evaluating the pest population or environmental conditions to understand if there is a problem. Keep in mind, seeing a single pest does not always mean control is needed. Next, you need to monitor and identify pests, so that appropriate control decisions
can be made. This step limits the posibility that pesticides will be used when they are not necessary, or to be sure the wrong kind of pesticide does not get used. Next we focus on prevention. IPM programs work to manage the environment to prevent pests from becoming a threat. This approach may include trying different plants or testing pest-resistant varieties. Lastly, if it is clear that pest control is required, evaluate the proper control method both for effectiveness and risk. Would you swim in, drink, or eat a fish from pesticide contaminated water? Not me! Let’s work together to reduce the concentration of contaminated water in our neighborhoods and city.
ticides
MOST BUGS ARE GOOD BUGS!
Chemical Tips
The risk of using pesticides and herbicides is greatest when the directions are not followed exactly. Be careful and consider the following tips when applying.
USE A LITTLE “ELBOW GREASE.” LONG-HANDLED WEED PULLERS POP DANDELIONS AND OTHER WEEDS OUT EASILY
AVOID APPLYING DUST OR SPRAY ON A WINDY DAY
MIX OR PREPARE DUSTS OR SPRAYS OUTDOORS OR IN WELL-VENTILATED AREAS. WHEN OPENING A PESTICIDE CON-
TAINER, FACE AWAY FROM, AND TO ONE SIDE OF, THE CAP OR LID
KEEP CHILDREN AND PETS AWAY WHEN MIXING OR APPLYING PESTICIDES
REMOVE AQUARIUMS, BIRDS, CATS, DOGS AND OTHER PETS, AS WELL AS THEIR FOOD AND WATER BOWLS BEFORE
SPRAYING AND DUSTING
USE THE EXACT AMOUNT OF PESTICIDE SPECIFIED BY THE LABEL. TOO MUCH IS ILLEGAL, WASTEFUL, AND ENVIRON-
MENTALLY HAZARDOUS
DO NOT APPLY PESTICIDES NEAR WELLS, CISTERNS OR ANY OTHER WATER SOURCE INTO WHICH THEY MAY RUN OR BE
WASHED BY RAIN
IT IS BEST TO ROTATE PESTICIDES WITH DIFFERENT ACTIVE INGREDIENTS TO AVOID DEVELOPING POPULATIONS OF
PESTICIDE RESISTANT WEEDS AND INSECTS
USE LOW-TOXICITY CHEMICALS THAT ARE BIODEGRADABLE
IF PESTICIDE GETS INTO EYES, FOLLOW EMERGENCY DIRECTIONS ON THE LABEL, FLUSH EYES WITH WATER FOR 10 -
15 MINUTES AND GET MEDICAL ATTENTION
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Vehicles
WavebreakMediaMicro/stock.adobe.com
Used motor oil is the largest single source of oil pollution in our lakes, rivers and streams.
Of the many impacts motor vehicles have on our environment, washing of vehicles has been noted by water quality experts as a major contributor to water pollution. The water running off a vehicle being washed in a driveway or street contains substances that polute the environment. This wash water includes
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soap and detergents, as expected, but also motor oils, gasoline, and heavy metals from rust that flush from vehicles and flow into storm drains or nearby creeks where it can harm water quality and aquatic life. In particular, the phosphates from soap cause excess algae to grow and too much algae creates algae blooms which look and smell bad while reducing oxygen in the water that fish need to survive. It may come as a suprise, but the best way to minimize the effect washing your car has on the environment is to use a commercial car wash. The EPA’s Clean Water Act enforces strict regulations on commercial car
washes to help conserve water. For this reason, most commercial operations are required to reuse wash water several times before sending it to the sewer system where it can be treated instead of down a storm drain. Another key point is that on average commercial car wash facilities use approximately 60% less water than when washing your car at home. Overall, the combination of reduced water usage and avoidance of dumping contaminated water in our storm sewer system make commercial car wash facilities a consistenty better option than washing at home. However, if you decide to wash your car at home, consider the following tips to save on resources and minimize pollution!
icles
Water that goes down storm drains does not go to a treatment plant!
Automotive Tips Car washing is a common routine for residents. Good housekeeping practices can minimize the risk of contamination from wash water discharge. The following tips will help you become more effective in reducing runoff pollution.
IF WASHING AT HOME, DO IT ON A GRASSY SURFACE SO THE WATER CAN INFILTRATE INTO THE GROUND TO BE RE
CHARGED
USE PRODUCTS THAT ARE BIODEGRADABLE, PHOSPHATE-FREE, WATER-BASED, AND PH NEUTRAL
USE A WATER BUCKET WITH SPONGES AND RAGS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER USED. IF YOU USE A HOSE, CON
SIDER ADDING A SPRAY NOZLE TO RESTRICT WATER FLOW
TRY WATERLESS CAR WASH PRODUCTS FOR SPOT-CLEANING OR A CAR WASH KIT, WHICH REDIRECTS WATER FROM
STORM DRAINS
EMPTY WASH WATER INTO THE SINK OR TOILET, OR THE GRASS IF YOU DISPOSE OF IT OUTSIDE
MAINTAIN YOUR AUTOMOBILE AND DISPOSE OF USED FLUIDS PROPERLY
HAVE YOUR CAR CHECKED FOR ANY LEAKING FLUIDS THAT MIGHT RUN-OFF INTO STORM DRAINS
USE KITTY LITTER, SAWDUST OR WOOD CHIPS TO SOAK UP OIL AND PUT IT IN THE TRASH
WHEN POSSIBLE, WASH YOUR CAR AT A COMMERCIAL CAR WASH FACILITY WHERE THEY OFTEN RECYCLE THEIR WATER OR ARE REQUIRED TO TREAT THE WATER PRIOR TO DISCHARGE
YOU CAN GENERALLY RECYCLE USED OIL FILTERS AT A USED OIL RECYCLING CENTERS. FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT USED OIL RECYCLING CONTACT THE METROPOLITAL ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST (MET) AT WWW.METRECYCLE.
COM OR CALL 918-584-0584
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Survey Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read the Protect Your Waterways Handbook. The following survey is intended to help us gain valuable feedback and guage the public interest of various environmental topics for you and your neighborhood in the future! This should take approximately 3-minutes to complete and your feedback is greatly appreciated.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BS57VZL
CITY CONTACT INFORMATION: Justin DeBruin, AICP
Urbanism and Sustainability Manager (918) 259 - 2400 x5337 jdebruin@brokenarrowok.gov
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Resources
City of Broken Arrow Urbanism and Sustainability Division https://www.brokenarrowok.gov/government/operations/community-development/sustainability-2-1370
RecycleBA https://www.brokenarrowok.gov/government/general-services/sanitation-divison/recycling-1201 Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful https://www.keepbabeautiful.org/programs/
The Metropolitan Environmental Trust (MET) https://metrecycle.com/
Blue Thumb - Stream Protection Through Education https://www.bluethumbok.com/
Central Oklahoma Stormwater Alliance (COSWA) https://coswa.wordpress.com/
EPA Greener Living https://www.epa.gov/environmental-topics/greener-living
Yard By Yard Community Resiliency Project https://www.okconservation.org/news/2020/8/1/yard-by-yard-community-resiliency-project-launches-in-tulsa
Oklahoma State University Extension Office https://extension.okstate.edu/ Green Country Stormwater Alliance http://www.stormwaterok.net/materials.html EPA Citizens Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety https://www.brokenarrowok.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=3032 EPA Healthy Lawn Healthy Environment https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-04/documents/healthy_lawn_healthy_environment.pdf ODEQ - Oklahoma Backyard Composting https://www.deq.ok.gov/wp-content/uploads/external-affairs/BackyardComposting.pdf Rain Gardens: A How-to Manual for Homeowners https://www.brokenarrowok.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=3008
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