Watershed Care Tips: May

Begins: May 1st, 2023 at 8:00 am
Ends: May 1st, 2023 at 5:00 pm

Venue:
Location:   | , Minnesota

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Pet Waste Tidbit of the Month

Dogs of course aren’t the only animals that poop in the woods. But they are the only wood-poopers that consume dog food. In contrast, a wild animal eats resources and nutrients from its ecosystem, then returns those same resources and nutrients to the same ecosystem. A dog is being fed extremely nutrient-rich foods from a bag, then depositing those alien nutrients into nature.

Source: Outside Magazine 

Bonus Tips

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.
  • Never dump leaves or grass clippings into ditches or wetlands - plan for responsible disposal through a yardwaste curbside service or a county compost site. Consider asking a neighbor for help and seeing it as an opportunity to build community and get to know neighbors. 
  • Trim groundcovers, grasses, or other vegetation overhanging curbs and sidewalks.

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 the summer months, so your help to keep stormdrains clean is a direct way to protect water quality and maintain functional drainage systems. 
  • 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. 
  • 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. 

 

 

 

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Upcoming events

Fri, Mar 29 2024 - 4:30pm to 4:30pm

One of two annual deadlines for Community Blue grant submissions. Grant submissions fit into April and October VLAWMO Technical Commission (TEC) meetings.


Tue, Apr 09 2024 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Learn how to protect water quality near your home and gain the DIY skills you need to conduct a shoreline site assessment, select native plants, navigate local regulations, and more.


Wed, Apr 10 2024 - 8:00am to 9:30am

Monthly Technical Commission (TEC) meeting at Vadnais Heights City Hall - council chambers.


View full calendar