What if you forgot a bag, or you're somewhere where there are no trashcans?

Leave No Trace advises adventurers to deal with dog poop in the same way they would their own: bury it in a six-to eight-inch deep hole, at least 200 feet from a water source. 

Note: This tip is intended for larger wilderness and national park areas. Many parks and public properties in the watershed cannot account for this 200' from water requirement. Burial of pet waste is also not a substitute strategy - the preferred method is still to pick it up and dispose of it off site in the trash or sanitary system.

Source: Outside Magazine 

Seasonal actions for water and soil health:

• Monitor rainbarrels and use the water as spring rains set in.
• Keep grass clippings off of paves surfaces. If mowing around a ditch, spray clippings away from the ditch.
• Watch for signs of illicit discharge (illegal dumping): Odd colors or odors in drainage water, construction sites with no buffer to keep sediment on-site, foams or surface scum where it doesn't make sense. These things should be reported to you City, Township, or public works department for inspection and possible clean-up. 
• Paint, concrete mix, oil, and mop bucket water are all illegal to dispose of in ditches and stormdrains. Visit vlawmo.org/residents to learn more about illicit discharge and resources for responsible disposal of hazardous waste. 

Looking ahead: 

• Watch what's happening during big rains in the early summer: Wash-outs, debris pile-ups, etc. Street sweepers likely won't be running in mid-summer - your help to keep stormdrains clean directly improves water quality! Visit adopt-a-drain to join a growing effort to keep stormdrains clean. 
• Pay attention to watering needs more than relying on assigned odd/even watering days. Your assigned day for watering doesn't automatically mean watering is necessary on that day. Turfgrass typically requires only 1"/week to survive. Summer dormancy is a normal part of grass' life cycle just as it goes dormant in the winter. 
• Check-in on irrigation systems. Be sure they're set to water 1"/week so that grass stays alive but reduces excessive watering. Accommodate for rainfall into the weekly count, and avoid irrigating when it's raining. 
• Fix errant sprinkler heads so that they're not spraying onto pavement. 

Tips to reduce runoff pollution from home