Last Chance for Fall Cleanup!

Water & Debris running into storm drainThe forecast says we have a few days left to button things up before you-know-what, but today’s “Arctic Blast” is a sure sign of the inevitable.  And Judging from the the multitude of paper compost bags lining the curbs on my block this morning, nearly everyone in the neighborhood has been out tending to the last minute chores of fall.

What can you do?

While you’re out there, please consider taking a few minutes to remove debris from a storm drain near you. The street sweeping crews are done for the season, but the trees weren’t, so there are a lot of leaves in the street.

Ten minutes clearing out a storm drain (and maybe even the nearby street) will go a long way toward protecting water quality in Diamond Lake and other lakes and streams. All those leaves, trash, and other gunk eventually end up in the lake, overfeeding vegetation and otherwise polluting the water, making it — without getting too technical — ugly & stinky.

To those who have adopted a storm drain — three cheers!  (Hint: Now’s a great time to check in on your little iron child.)  Friends of Diamond Lake would love to know how it’s going. Please feel free to add your comments at the end of this post.

Button up, clean a storm drain.  Your lake will reward you with cleaner water.

Thanks, and stay warm!

PS
You might also want to check out these simple year-round yard care tips for water quality from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.

Leave a Reply