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Watershed Stewardship
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| Everyone assumes natural cycles
and resources have an amazing capacity to rejuvenate themselves.
We assume that local, state or federal government agencies are
protecting our water resources, and as a result, we will have
enough clean water for many years into the future. While there
are private organizations and public sector agencies working
to protect these resources, the broad spectrum of water resource
protection and the crucial importance of this resource to our
existence makes this an issue of critical concern to every individual.
Successful protection of the resource over the long-term means
everyone must consider their individual responsibility for watershed
stewardship. |
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Watershed Stewardship: What
Can You Do?
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| As an integral part of the
watershed you live in, what you do in your backyard and in your
lifestyle makes a difference. Here are some examples of what
you can do to help protect the high quality and exceptional
value water resources in our Lehigh County Watersheds. |
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At Home: |
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- Reduce fresh water use around the home by installing
water conservation devices. The less groundwater used, the
less the natural system must recycle.
- Landscape your yard with native plants that require less
water and fertilizer and also provide food and shelter for
wildlife. Use only the amount of fertilizers and pesticides
that lawns and plants need. Test your soil first.
- Reduce the amount of deicers, chemicals or other hazardous
materials used around the home.
- Minimize the use of mowed lawn areas and impervious surfaces
(pavement) in your landscape allowing more natural infiltration
of water.
- Divert rainwater from paved surfaces onto natural vegetation
to permit infiltration back into the groundwater.
- Be gentle with the types of cleaning chemicals you use
in your home. Anything you put down the drain either ends
up in your septic system or the community sewage system.
Add everything together and overloads on these systems can
discharge chemicals directly into our waterways and groundwater.
- Retain or establish streamside (riparian) buffers or greenbelts
to help filter runoff, protect water quality and enhance
fish habitat.
- Properly store and dispose of hazardous materials, paints,
oil, gasoline, etc.
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In your community: |
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- Join and become active in a watershed partnership organization.
- Learn your watershed address; remember, we all live downstream.
- Learn about the watershed you live in and the land uses
which can affect your watershed.
- Volunteer to help with water quality monitoring efforts
in your watershed.
- Protect wetlands that serve as natural buffers against
pollution, soil erosion, and flooding and which serve as
important groundwater recharge areas.
- Encourage the Implementation of Best Management Practices
(BMP's) -conservation practices which lessen the impacts
of stormwater runoff-in your community.
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| Encourage watershed based planning
and protection measures within your community. Work with your
local municipality to implement these watershed planning measures
in you home watershed. |
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Lehigh County Agricultural Center, Suite 102
4184 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, PA 18104 |
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©
All Rights Reserved. Lehigh County Conservation District.
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