2018 Go Green

2018

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Go Green

THE

Herald

Republican

The

THE NEWS SUN

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April 21, 2018

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April 21, 2018

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Cover photo provided by Little River Wetlands Project

Our commitment to the environment is more than jjust a commitment.

Nor th America’s Largest Recycler

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Cool it: Advice to keep your home cool while still saving energy, money Homeowners can save money while also helping the environment with just a few simple tricks and tips on home heating and cooling.

“Simple and inexpensive actions can help you save energy and money during the warm spring and summer months,” states Energy. gov, the U.S. Department of Energy’s website.

First, homeowners should know how to operate their thermostats for maximum energy and money savings.

“Understand your thermostat,” Curtis Days, Local 166 member at A. Hattersley and Sons, said in an email. “It may be low/ dead batteries or improper settings. I’ve gone to a few emergency calls where the thermostat was the culprit and unfortunately it would cost the customer $100+ for a very simple fix.”

The closer the indoor and outdoor temperatures are, the lower cooling bills will be, so Energy.gov recommends individuals set thermostats as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The website recommends setting the thermostat to 78 degrees when people are at home and to warmer temperatures when no one is home.

It’s also important to avoid placing lamps, televisions or other heat-producing items

near the thermostat, as it will sense heat from these devices and will cause the air conditioning to run longer than necessary.

Homeowners should avoid setting thermostats to a colder temperature than normal when first turning the air conditioner on in the hopes of cooling the house down faster.

“It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense,” Energy.gov states.

The website recommends utilizing windows to gain cool air by opening them up at night.

In the morning, shut the windows and use blinds or other coverings to prevent heat gain throughout the day.

Using ceiling fans in conjunction with air conditioning allows homeowners to raise the thermostat setting by around 4 degrees without any loss of comfort, according to Energy.gov. “Fans cool people, not rooms, by creating a wind chill effect,” the website states, reminding people to turn off ceiling fans when the room is not occupied.

Lighting can also play a role in a home’s cooling costs.

“Only about 10 to 15 percent of the electricity that incandescent lights consume results in light — the rest is turned into heat,” according to Energy.gov, so it’s

important to be mindful of appliances and lights that may be heating up a home. To combat this, the DOE suggests not using the oven on hot days but rather cooking on the stove, in the microwave or outside on the grill.

Homeowners should also “minimize activities that generate a lot of heat, such as running a computer, burning open flames, running a dishwasher and using hot devices such as curling irons or hair dryers,” the DOE states. “Even stereos and televisions will add some heat to your home.”

Keeping your cooling system well kept and running efficiently is also important in order to maximize energy and money savings.

“Neglecting necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air-conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases,” Energy.gov states. Therefore, it is important to schedule regular maintenance checkups for your equipment.

“An annual inspection on heating and air-conditioning equipment in preferred,” Days said, adding that the most important, cheapest and easiest thing to do to increase equipment longevity and avoid expensive emergency calls is to change your furnace filter. This should be done when the filter

is visibly dirty, or when the manufacturer recommends it.

There are many ways a homeowner can maintain upkeep of their equipment personally.

“The other easiest and cheapest preventative measure is to clean the outdoor coil.

This is as easy as spraying it down with a hose,” Days said. “Use caution during this process because your outdoor unit uses higher voltage. Do not spray it in any direction a natural rainfall wouldn’t.” If a home is in an area with a lot of cottonwood trees, homeowners may want to clean the outside coils more often as the cottonwood can clog and damage the coils.

It important to regularly vacuum out air-conditioning registers to remove any dust buildup and make sure nothing is blocking the registers, such as furniture or other objects.

Keep hot air from leaking into a home by using caulk or weather stripping to seal any leaks around doors and windows, Energy. gov states.

“We want to avoid paying more but we also want to reduce greenhouse emissions and leave a cleaner world for future generations,” Days said.

— Meghan Schrader

Why does Butler worry about storm water?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified storm water pollution to be one of the leading causes of contamination of our nation’s waters. Storm water from developed areas erodes stream banks and smothers stream beds with sediment. Accumulated chemical and bacteria flush off the land and into streams. Poor storm water management can destroy stream life, pollute drinking water and increase flooding and damage property.

Approximately 70% of all drains lead directly to open waterways without being treated. Nearly 50% of polluted rivers and lakes around the U.S. are polluted due to uncontrolled storm water runoff. A one-quart oil spill can cause a two-acre oil slick.

Residential Storm Water Solutions City of

BUTLER Indiana www.butler.in.us

Do this: Maintain your vehicle and properly dispose of used oil.

Do this: Take your car to a commercial car wash that recycles water.

Don’t do this: Let your oil enter the sewage system. One million gallons of fresh water can be damaged by used oil from a single oil change.

Don’t do this: Wash your car at home where soapy rinse water goes right into the nearest stream.

Do this: Recycle and properly dispose of household cleaning products and chemicals.

Do this: Use native plants that require less maintenance and fewer chemicals.

Do this: Bring expired medications to a designated drop-off location.

Don’t do this: Pour cleaning agents down the drain or into drainage ditches.

Don’t do this: Use pesticides across broad areas.

Don’t do this: Flush medicine down the toilet or dump in the sink.

Do this: Scoop up your pet waste and throw it away.

Don’t do this: Leave pet waste on sidewalks or lawns.

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Dialing back: how simple changes to appliance use can save money of warm or hot.

“Using warm water instead of hot can cut a load’s energy use in half, and using cold water will save even more,” Energy. gov states.

According to WorldWatch.org, as much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.

“Use the high-speed or extended spin cycle in the washer. This will remove as much moisture as possible before drying, reducing your drying time and the wear on your clothes from the high heat of the dryer,” the website states.

Clothing should be air dried whenever possible. When that is not an option, be sure to dry “right-sized loads” for the machines. Drying loads that are too big or too small will take longer, using extra energy unnecessarily. Additionally, using lower heat settings on a dryer, though it

may take clothes longer to dry, will use less energy.

Another tip is switching laundry when the dryer is still warm.

“This will allow you to use the remaining heat inside of the dryer for the next cycle,” Energy.gov states.

Just as with any other well-used home appliance, maintenance is important for a washer and dryer. Lint filters should be cleaned regularly to ensure the dryer runs safely and efficiently.

“If you take the lint from your clothes washer, it is one of the best fire starters you can get. This is visual evidence of how dangerous it can be. It becomes obvious that clean equipment and equipment that can ‘breathe’ clean air is the most efficient,” Curtis Days, Local 166 member at A. Hattersley and Sons, said in an email.

More efficient appliances can also

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Some simple changes in the way homeowners use their everyday appliances can reduce energy costs and help the environment.

“Water heating accounts for about 18 percent of the energy consumed in a home,” according to Energy.gov, the U.S. Department of Energy’s website.

The website states homeowners should turn their water heater down to the warm setting, which is around 120 degrees.

Not only will this save energy, but homeowners can also avoid burning their hands with the hot water.

Also involving water consumption, doing laundry can be the most costly activity in a home.

Energy.gov recommends only doing full loads of laundry, as the machine will use the same amount of energy no matter the size of the load. In addition, the DOE advises washing with cold water instead

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help consumers conserve energy and save money.

“When I did service, one of the basic and most helpful things I could do was to inform the customer of their equipment’s needs and how to adjust or fix the current situations in a cost-efficient manner,” Days said. Energy Star allows the homeowner to get their information in a single view.

“From a ‘going green’ perspective, the Energy Star rating has forced companies to pay attention to conservation. It’s no different than nutritional facts on food you eat; once you realize what you’re putting into your body you make a conscious effort to avoid the junk,” Days said.

For more information and tips on how to save money and energy, visit Energy. gov.

— Meghan Schrader

Conservation District celebrates EARTH DAY every day!

942 W. 15th St. Auburn, IN 46706

FREE

Rain Barrel Workshop May 5th.

Workshop will be held at Auburn’s Stormwater Pollution Control facility located at 2010 Wayne Street, Auburn From 10:00am-11:00am Space is limited.

Registration is a must!

Call 260.925.5620 x3 for more information.

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Home energy audits allow homeowners to find, fix trouble spots Most people know that having a home that runs efficiently can save them money and benefit the environment.

What most people don’t necessarily know, however, is what the trouble spots in their own homes are that keep them from being the most efficient.

This is where a home energy audit can play a role. “(A home energy audit) is using building science to determine how efficient your house is and how much room for improvement you have,” said Jake Taylor, home energy adviser for LaGrange County REMC. Efficiency benefits not only a homeowner, but energy companies too, Taylor said.

“We are adding so many new homes onto lines every year that, that demand goes way up, so if we can make the homes more efficient it lowers that demand or reduces the increase in the demand,” he said.

As such, LaGrange County REMC and some other energy companies offer free home energy audits to their members or customers. Those interested can call their energy company for more information.

During a professional home energy audit, an inspector uses “a bunch of different techniques” to detect energy loss in the home, Taylor said. These items include an infrared camera to detect hot or cold spots and a duct blaster to pressurize or depressurize duct systems to detect leaks.

Home energy inspectors will also do a depressurization test, or blower door test, on the whole house.

“We depressurize the house to 50 pascals of pressure, and that simulates something approximate to 20 mph winds on every surface of the house,” Taylor said. “It allows us to measure how much airflow leaks out of the house so that we can determine how many air changes per hour it has under pressure.”

Companies will also look at a home’s energy baseload, or “the things you need every day to get by,” he said.

Anything outside of that is usually a home’s heating and cooling system.

“You could have a more efficient heating system or cooling system, or you could spend a lot less money and do a better job of air sealing and insulating and that has a big bang for your buck,” Taylor said. “The baseload items are your things like your water heating, your well, your daily cooking that takes place, so there are some

things there we could change: change some of the habits, change some of the fixtures to Energy Star (ones), changing out old incandescent bulbs and florescent bulbs to LEDs, which have a really high rate of return.”

For those whose energy company doesn’t offer a free audit, homeowners can conduct ones themselves, albeit without some of the technology available to the professionals.

Energy.gov recommends looking for airleaks around floorings, baseboards, wall and ceiling junctures, windows, doors, lighting and plumbing fixtures, switches, electrical outlets, and open fireplaces.

Once these leaks are found, they should be properly sealed.

Insulation should also be checked in the attic and ceilings, with more added if needed.

Heating and cooling equipment should be checked and professionally cleaned annually, according to Energy.gov, with filters replaced as needed. Check for dirt streaks as well in ductwork, which indicate air leaks. Ducts or pipes that travel through unheated spaces should also be insulated.

Energy.gov also recommends making sure lightbulbs, appliances and heating and cooling equipment are MEGAN KNOWLES as energy-efficient as possible, and Jake Taylor, home energy adviser for LaGrange County REMC, performs a blower encourages homeowners to consider door test during a home energy audit. The test “allows us to measure how much upgrades where possible. airflow leaks out of the house so that we can determine how many airchanges More information on performing a per hour it has under pressure,” Taylor said. do-it-yourself home energy audit can be found at energy.gov/energysaver/ home-energy-audits/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audits.

Both Energy.gov and Taylor said keeping ventilation in mind when doing an audit and upgrades is essential to prevent moisture and to allow combustion gases to escape the home.

Taylor also said just about everyone can benefit from a home energy audit.

“I get that response a lot, that there’s nothing wrong with my home, it’s perfectly fine,” he said, adding most of the homes they see — modular homes and trailers — are “not energy efficient at all … they could be so much better.”

“I wish more people did it, just to understand what they have and how they could be better, more efficient,” he added. “Even if there’s nothing more you can do, you have the satisfaction of knowing the home performs well and what range it MEGAN KNOWLES performs in.”

Jake Taylor, home energy adviser for LaGrange County REMC, checks a door for — Megan Knowles air leaks during a home energy audit.

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10 Things You Can Do to Prevent Stormwater Runoff Pollution Use fertilizers sparingly and sweep up driveways, sidewalks, and gutters Never dump anything down storm drains or in streams Vegetate bare spots in your yard Compost your yard waste Use least toxic pesticides, follow labels, and learn how to prevent pest problems Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces; consider a rain garden to capture runoff Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it in the driveway Check your car for leaks and recycle your motor oil Pick up after your pet Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly

This message is brought to you by…

Angola’s Clean Water Utilities (260) 665-2514 www.angolain.org

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

Encouraging kids to go green Children often aspire to emulate their parents. Kids’ curiosity may be similarly piqued when they see their parents going green.

While going green might not seem like the most kid-friendly activity, there are many ways for parents to involve children in their efforts to live eco-friendly lifestyles.

• Donate clothing and toys: Children outgrow their clothing pretty quickly.

Rather than discarding items kids can no longer wear, parents can take kids along to donation centers or thrift stores to show them how their clothes can be reused. Use this as an opportunity to teach kids how donating or recycling old items cuts down on the need to use natural resources to create new items.

Do the same with toys, which kids tend to outgrow almost as quickly as their clothing.

• Bike to school: Stay-at-home parents, telecommuters or those who have time to escort their children to and from school can bike to school with their children. Teach them how biking in lieu of driving helps to conserve fuel and how such conservation benefits the planet.

If biking is not an option due

to weather or distance, parents can organize carpools, teaching kids how traveling together instead of individually helps to conserve fuel.

• Avoid plastic water bottles: Take kids along to the store to purchase their own reusable water bottle, explaining to them how they’re doing their part to protect the planet by choosing reusable bottles over bottled water.

• Visit the library: Young children who love to read can borrow books from the library rather than asking mom and dad to purchase their own copies at the bookstore. Explain how borrowing cuts down on the need for paper, which helps preserve forests and reduce waste.

• Spend more time in the great outdoors: Many parents want their children to spend more time outdoors and less time on the couch playing video games or watching television.

Parents can make an effort to spend more time outdoors with their children engaging in fun activities like hiking, camping or fishing. Such excursions can instill a love and appreciation for nature in youngsters, and that love can compel them to a lifetime of protecting the planet and conserving its resources.

— Metro Creative Service

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Making mealtime more eco-friendly

Conscious decisions can make every step of the process better for the planet Mealtime is a great time to start thinking about being green. From picking up groceries to washing dishes, there are many ways the home cook can help the earth in the process.

Getting your food • Use reusable shopping bags: It is estimated that as many as 100 billion plastic bags are used in the United States each year — for an average of 12 minutes apiece.

Using a reusable cloth bag can cut down on that number by as much as 21,000 bags in a person’s lifetime.

• Buy local: Food grown locally doesn’t have to use as much fuel to transport it to your local market. Other bonuses include fresher food and supporting local farmers and growers.

• Buy in season: Along the same lines, eating food in season means it doesn’t have to be shipped from its far-away growing location

to your grocery store.

• Preserve and can: Can’t stand the thought of not having strawberries in the winter? Buy them in season then learn to make your own jam so you can enjoy them year-round. The same goes for a variety of vegetables and fruits that can be canned or preserved.

• Eat more vegetables: Animals require more resources to raise and harvest than fruits and vegetables do, so loading up on produce can be better for the planet and your overall health.

• Grow your own food: There’s no shipping at all when you grow your own food in your backyard or on your porch. Plus, you can’t beat that super-fresh taste and the satisfaction of knowing you grew it yourself.

• Buy sustainable seafood: Not all seafood is caught or raised with the most sustainable practices. Look for the Marine Stewardship Council label, or download the Seafood

MEGAN KNOWLES

Using a reusable shopping bag is one of several ways to be more eco-friendly at mealtime.

Watch app to learn more about which fish and shellfish are the best for the environment.

• Expand your fish horizons: Salmon, tuna and shrimp are popular, but their overcon-

sumption can lead to overfishing and other environmental problems. Look to try different See MEALTIME page 9

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Eco-friendly outdoor activities Time spent in the great outdoors is often its own reward. But taking measures to be eco-friendly while spending time outside can make such leisure time even more rewarding. People who want to get out and be eco-friendly at the same time can try the following activities.

• Cycling: Cycling is a fun activity that’s also great exercise and incredibly eco-friendly. While it’s certainly an enjoyable leisure activity, cycling also can provide a great alternative to more popular modes of transportation like driving. According to Bay Area Bike to Work Day, a movement dedicated to promoting cycling as a means of commuting to and from work, drivers of small vehicles (those that get 35 miles per gallon of gas) who commute 10 miles per day, five days a week can expect to consume 68 gallons of gas in a typical year during their commutes. During those commutes, their vehicles will produce 0.7 tons of CO2. SUV drivers will consume nearly double that amount of fuel while their vehicles produce nearly three times as much CO2 emissions. Cycling to work won’t consume any fuel or produce any emissions.

• Hiking: Hiking is another eco-friendly outdoor activity that can pay dividends for both the planet and the people who call it home. Lawmakers in towns and cities with thriving hiking communities may be encouraged to support legislation that preserves hiking trails and parks and

prevent potentially harmful construction from taking place. Furthermore, individuals can reap a number of benefits from hiking through the great outdoors. A study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that outdoor exercise such as hiking can decrease feelings of tension, confusion, anger and depression. In addition, hiking provides a great full-body workout that might appeal to people who have grown tired of more traditional gym-based fitness regimens.

• Fishing: Fishing devotees tend to be wildly devoted to their craft, but one need not be an expert angler to enjoy fishing and help the planet. According to the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, fishing supports wildlife and fisheries management. The DGIF notes that anglers help to set seasons and creel limits, ensuring that wildlife populations remain stable and even flourish. Many anglers also find fishing is a great form of stress relief that provides a peaceful escape from the daily grind.

• Running/walking: In lieu of running or walking on a treadmill indoors, men and women can get outside and do their jogging or walking in the great outdoors.

While treadmills are not necessarily big energy consumers, running or walking outdoors consumes no energy and provides a great opportunity to spend time outside, especially for professionals who spend most of their days in office buildings.

— Metro Creative Services

MEALTIME

cooking small meals, according to EnergyStar.

• Get creative with leftovers: No one likes to eat the same thing over and over. Revamp the leftovers into a new dish so nothing goes to waste. This works even better if you plan for it in advance: Make a double batch of chili, then use the leftovers to make chili stroganoff or chili potpie with biscuits later in the week. Or have a “Chopped” night, when random ingredients found at home are used to craft new meals.

From page 8

varieties — who knows, your family might find a new favorite.

Preparing the meal • Use a toaster oven: Toaster ovens consume between one-third and one-half as much energy as traditional ovens when

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

Cleanup and beyond • Use the dishwasher: Handwashing place settings for 12 people can use as much as 27 gallons of water, compared with around 4 for a dishwasher, according to an article from Metro Creative Services. Running the dishwasher only when it is full further provides water savings.

• Recycle: Many localities either have curbside recycling or recycling centers that will take various materials such as glass jars and certain types of plastic containers and

jugs. Check locally for options.

• Compost: If you can recycle the packaging your food comes in, why can’t you recycle leftover food? (Read more about composting on Page 15.)

• Ditch the plastic bottle: Millions of plastic water bottles are created and thrown away every year. Use a reusable bottle and drink from the tap, using a filter if preferred. When you do get those plastic bottles, make sure to recycle them.

— KPC News Service

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Ways to reduce household trash Active families tend to generate a lot of garbage, and it’s not uncommon to find the kitchen trash pail overflowing each day.

A report from SaveOnEnergy found that garbage production numbers are staggering. The average American produces 4.4 pounds of trash each day.

That means the average family of four can generate 17.6 pounds of trash a day. Every year, Americans produce 254 million tons of trash.

Thanks to modern sanitation systems, which remove garbage in a timely manner, it’s difficult to get a good handle on just how much trash families generate. But one look at the statistics — and the size of landfills — clearly illustrates that garbage is a concern. Thankfully, there are ways to cut down on personal waste.

• Recycle as much as you can: Post a list of all items that can be recycled where you live. Make sure to separate these items from the regular trash. Seek out facilities that will recycle items that are not collected in curbside pickup.

• Avoid buying disposable products: Reusing items over and over saves money and resources. Many disposable products are packaged in plastic, which may be

produced with toxic substances that can leach into the environment.

• Use old rags for cleaning: When scouring the house, opt for old rags made from towels and T-shirts that are past their prime. These rags can be washed and reused again and again.

• Mend broken items if possible: Before tossing something into the trash, figure out if it can be repaired. A simple fix may breathe a few more years of utility into the product.

• Cook only what you can eat: The UN Environmental Program estimates that one-third of the food produced for human consumption across the globe is wasted.

Store and use leftovers efficiently. Stick to portion sizes when cooking, and find uses for foods (farms may take food scraps for pigs) before tossing them in the trash.

• Donate used items: Books, magazines, toys, clothing, household items — all of these things can be donated or traded.

• Stop junk mail: Contact companies to remove your name from lists of junk mail.

Invest in a shredder and turn junk mail into packing materials or bedding for pet cages.

— Metro Creative Service

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

The average American produces 4.4 pounds of trash each day, according to a report from report from SaveOnEnergy. Reducing trash generated at home can greatly benefit the environment.

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Watching our waterways Local organizations test, advocate for water quality As locals become more interested in enjoying local waterways, they are also becoming more interested and invested in the quality of those water systems.

Fortunately, local organizations have been monitoring the quality of local ditches, rivers and lakes and educating the public on what it can do to help improve the state of our water.

Testing The Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy has been testing the waters surrounding and including Clear Lake consistently since 2008, Executive Director Bridget Hearson said.

Four times a year for the ditches and once a year for Lake Ann, volunteers go out with their supplies and test for things such as temperature, PH and more. Their results are then recorded and uploaded to Hoosier Riverwatch, a program of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management whose mission is to “increase public awareness of water quality issues and concerns by training volunteers to monitor stream water quality,” according to its website.

“You can look at your overall water quality data and see if a stream is in excellent condition, good condition, medium, and then if it is bad or very bad you can take a deeper look at some of those parameters you test for and try to figure out what’s going on,” Hearson said.

Some of the parameters CLTLC tests for are temperature and dissolved oxygen, the right balance of which are essential for animal life.

“Fish and aquatic insects … survive better in cold water, so if the water gets too hot it can impact their overall health and then they’ll be susceptible to disease and illness,” Hearson said.

They also look at turbidity, which is suspended matter in the water and which affects its clarity.

“A lot of times I’ll hear people who have been here their whole lives say, the lake isn’t as clear as it once was, and that’s a good test parameter to track turbidity over time and that can be impacted by sediments or plant materials,” Hearson said.

Findings The CLTLC also tests for orthophosphates, high levels of which can contribute to algae blooms.

Higher levels of phosphorus can be found where fertilizers have run into

streams, and can cause problems not only locally but farther downstream, Little River Wetlands Project Director of Preserves and Programs Betsy Yankowiak said.

Since Fort Wayne sits on a continental divide, its waters drain into both the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico.

“So for our nutrients, for farming, nitrogen is what causes the huge algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico, but on this side, it’s phosphorus, and that’s why we’re getting those algae blooms in Toledo and in Lake Erie,” Yankowiak said. “What we do on our lawns and what farmers do in their fields and what companies do in their lawns as well, what we do really affects Toledo and downstream.”

The orthophosphates level in Allen County has been consistently higher than the state average since 2014. In LaGrange and Noble counties it has been below the state average, while in Steuben County the numbers have been around the state average, according to data obtained from Hoosier Riverwatch. Ideal conditions are less than 0.3 milligrams per liter, according to information on the LaGrange County Lakes Council’s website.

As far as turbidity goes, Allen County has made strides since 2012, seeing testing results below state averages. Steuben and LaGrange counties have seen results higher than the state average, while Noble County showed results similar to the state average in 2017 after a gap in reporting since 2010.

Despite some areas being better than the state averages, Yankowiak said water quality generally is “poor in a number of areas.”

This can affect property values around lakes, LaGrange County Lakes Council President Bob Hedges said.

“Water quality is actually our main concern on the lakes because water quality has a very significant influence on property values and that’s becoming more and more important all the time, especially with young purchasers of lake property,” he said.

Runoff, which contributes to water quality problems, Yankowiak said, can also factor into flooding.

“The farmers that were in the valley, what they’re experiencing is, with all the impervious surfaces, parking lots, streets, roofs, instead of that water infiltrating into the groundwater system it’s hitting sewers, streams, ditches and getting to the valley a lot faster. So what they’re experiencing is areas that used to be productive are now

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CLEAR LAKE TOWNSHIP LAND CONSERVANCY

Volunteers with the Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy stop for a picture while testing for water quality. Volunteers test ditches surrounding Clear Lake about four times a year.

not as productive as they once were,” she said.

This, however, is where wetlands can play an important role.

The role of wetlands In terms of flooding, wetlands can work as a holding tank and sponge to catch and absorb excess water, Yankowiak said.

“So when water is able to pool into Eagle Marsh it slows it down, so you reduce the velocity so you can help reduce the erosion capabilities of a certain rain event,” she said. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife (Service) estimates that one acre of wetlands can hold 1.5 million gallons.

So for Eagle Marsh that’s over a billion

gallons of water during a flood event.”

In addition, wetlands act as “the kidneys of the environment” to filter out substances from the water. “(Wetlands) allow water to flow into their system and then the sediments and nutrients and pollutants that are suspended in the water have a chance to drop out because they basically serve as tub or a sponge where the water sits for a while,” Hearson said.

“As that water settles you get cleaner surface water, you get cleaner groundwater and that’s what helps create that healthier ecosystem,” Yankowiak said. “We’re See WATERWAYS page 13

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April 21, 2018

WATERWAYS From page 12

talking about not only the Mississippi (River) on this side but the Great Lakes and Junk Ditch, the St. Marys (River), where they’re talking about doing a lot of riverfront development.”

Improving water quality Both Hearson and Yankowiak said advocating for wetlands is an important part of improving water quality.

“In Indiana over 85 percent of our wetlands are gone and Indiana rates some of the lowest in water quality,” Yankowiak said.

Farmers who are interested in converting their land back into wetland can do so through a federal program, the Wetland Reserve Program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which is a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Yankowiak said.

The program is completely voluntary, she said, and land has to meet certain criteria, including having hydric soil – “areas that are or were wetlands will have the right soil type,” she said — and being farmed recently, among other requirements.

More information on this program can be found at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/ easements/wetlands/.

Farmers, and those who fertilize their lawns, can also be mindful not to spray fertilizer close to waterways, Hearson said.

“There’s just a high risk of that running straight into the water source,” she said.

Furthermore, Hearson encouraged landowners to test their soil first to see if they need nitrogen or other chemicals to begin with.

“If you don’t need nitrogen, don’t apply a fertilizer with nitrogen in it. Get an idea of where your lawn is and only apply the nutrients that are needed,” she said.

There are fertilizers available that are sold around lakes that do not include phosphorus as well, Hedges said.

There are many other ways homeowners can help improve water quality as well.

Hearson encouraged anyone living near a lake who has a septic system to make sure that system is working properly.

“Septic inputs into water quality can really negatively impact some of those (water quality) parameters,” she said.

In addition, she encouraged homeowners to wash their cars at a carwash or on the grass so the water can soak into the ground rather than run off into the water.

Likewise, Yankowiak said homeowners can create their own wetlands by putting in a rain garden, which traps water for up to 48 hours so it can filter into the soil rather than run off to waterways. Rain barrels can also help reduce water runoff, she said.

Other gardening tips include planting trees and other plants with deep roots to help bring surface water into the ground, Yankowiak said.

“Can you grow your garden a little wider? Can you add plants that grow a little deeper?” she asked. “It doesn’t have to be monumental. If everybody did a little bit, it would be a lot.”

Hearson believes people are starting to understand the importance of water quality.

“People love Clear Lake, they love it so much that 26 years ago they created a group to help protect it, so I think people are getting more aware of how they positively and negatively impact the lake and the water quality and I think that people are trying to make wise choices and be educated,” she said.

“The water we have is all we have, no more is created, this is it,” Hearson added.

“I think if we don’t make the effort to protect the resources we have now, there’s no guarantee we’ll have those in the future.”

— Megan Knowles

Go Green

13

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CLEAR LAKE TOWNSHIP LAND CONSERVANCY

A volunteer with the Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy performs water quality tests.

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April 21, 2018

How drivers can make road trip season more eco-friendly Driving is not always the most eco-friendly activity. However, there are various ways to enjoy spring road trips without compromising the environment.

• Do not idle your vehicle: When engines are running but cars are not moving, this is referred to as “idling.”

Idling cars might not be moving, but they are still burning fuel, meaning drivers who routinely idle their vehicles are adversely affecting fuel efficiency. It’s also important to note that idling is no longer necessary in modern vehicles.

That’s because the electronic fuel injection systems in today’s cars require just a few seconds to get full oil pressure throughout the engine. Such systems were not present in older vehicles.

• Take it easy on the road: Road trips tend to be more enjoyable and are certainly safer when drivers take their time and don’t rush to their destination — and driving slowly happens to be more eco-friendly as well. According to the online automotive resource Edmunds. com, gently gaining speed is much more fuel-efficient than accelerating quickly.

Always obey speed limits and avoid quickly accelerating when stoplights turn

green.

• Empty the trunk: During winter, many drivers carry some extra items in their trunk to account for inclement weather. When spring arrives, drivers should remove any unnecessary items from their trunks. Such items will increase the weight of the vehicle, thereby reducing its fuel efficiency.

Athletes and outdoors enthusiasts should also remove golf bags and sporting equipment from their trunks when taking trips where such items won’t be needed.

• Don’t top off at the gas pump: Many drivers, especially those on road trips who want to avoid extra tops at the filling station, top off their gas tanks when nozzles shut off automatically.

Such a practice is harmful to the planet and may not be doing your vehicle any favors, either. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes gasoline needs some extra room in gas tanks to expand.

Without that extra room, the gas may evaporate into the vehicle’s vapor collection system, adversely affecting emissions and potentially damaging the vehicle.

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April 21, 2018

Go Green

15

Going green in the garden Composting, water conservation and more can help gardeners, environment Those with a green thumb can take a few easy steps to make sure their beautiful blooms and plentiful produce aren’t causing harm to the environment.

“One great example of going green in the garden would be ways you can manage your weeds, especially in your vegetable gardens,” DeKalb County Purdue Extension Agriculture and Natural Resource Educator Elysia Rodgers said.

One way offers an opportunity to recycle as well.

“Laying down probably three or four layers of newspaper down around plants, leaving about a three-inch circle around the base so you can get some water and stuff still in there … is a great way to keep (weeds) down and it recycles that newspaper as well while it’s breaking down,” she said.

Steuben County Purdue Extension Agriculture and Natural Resource Educator Crystal Van Pelt also recommended this method, adding an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to weeds.

“Putting down simple weed barriers in the spring will prevent you from having to spray Roundup or vinegar or any other chemical on

those weeds to get rid of them, so doing a little bit of prevention can save a lot of maintenance in the long term in the garden,” she said.

In terms of soil health, Van Pelt also recommended rotating crops if a garden is large enough to support it.

“If you plant the same tomatoes in the same spot every year and you get diseases those diseases will stay in the soil, so you’ll probably get the same diseases over and over and you’ll have to treat those,” she said. “But if you plant sweet corn there and move your tomatoes across the garden there’s a better chance you won’t have that same disease every year.”

Overall, the best way to improve soil health — and be green at the same time — is through composting.

It isn’t hard to find material for composting, Rodgers said — bread, grains, fruits, vegetables and yard waste can all be composted. In fact, 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away can be composted, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The main things not to include in your compost are meats and fats, pet feces and diseased plants.

Composting at home doesn’t have to be complicated, Van Pelt said.

“You can make it pretty easy, especially with worm composting as long as you don’t add anything too acidic and you don’t let it dry out too much. The worms just require moisture,” she said. Homeowners also want to keep a ratio of three-to-one browns to greens, with browns being leaves, newspaper and cardboard and greens being kitchen scraps.

“You have to sort of balance what you are putting in your system and if it starts to smell that probably means you don’t have the right balance of those browns and greens in your composting pile but if it is at the correct ratio it should compost well and it should not smell,” Van Pelt said.

Another important resource in the garden is water, and there are several ways to make the most out of it for the budget- and eco-conscious gardener.

The interest in rain barrels has grown in the past five years, Rodgers said. Many groups and organizations offer workshops for people to make rain barrels. Though they’re not difficult to make, Rodgers said there can be some expense with the equipment involved,

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and that it’s important to get a barrel that has either never been used or has only been used for food-grade products to avoid the risk of contamination.

Van Pelt said she started using a rain barrel last year and learned “it takes a lot more than one 55-gallon rain barrel if you want to collect all of your water,” she said.

“But it did conserve a lot of water,” Van Pelt added. “I didn’t have to use my hose on one side of my property at all from using a rain barrel last year.”

Gardeners can also conserve water by watering at the best time of day, Rodgers said.

“The best time to do your watering is early in the morning when the dew is still on because as the sun evaporates it will take away any excess water there would be so it reduces the chance of leaf rot, root rot, things like that,” she said.

Watering in the middle of the day allows for too much evaporation, Rodgers said, and watering in the evening when the dew comes back keeps too much moisture retained, increasing the chances for rot.

— Megan Knowles

16

Go Green

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