Check out our video for ideas on how to keep our water clean. (Requires QuickTime)

Healthy lawns keep water clean. After months of Michigan winter, our lawns begin to show signs of green again. It’s exciting, but kicking your lawn routine into high gear can cause trouble for our water.

Storm drains in our streets and yards empty directly into our lakes and streams. Fertilizer on our driveways and sidewalks washes directly to our lakes and streams polluting the water.

Here are some simple lawn care tips for a great looking lawn:
Mow high. Keep your grass at least three inches tall to promote healthier roots.

Lawns love leftovers. Keep your grass clippings on the lawn…they are good food for your lawn.

Follow the directions. Too much fertilizer isn’t a good thing and will just run off the lawn if it rains. Don’t fertilize until three weeks after green up in the spring.

Sweep it. Fertilizer left on sidewalks and driveways easily washes into storm drains. Sweep it back onto the lawn.

Take control. Consider a fertilizer spreader with a directional control that avoids non-lawn areas.

Get to the root of it. Instead of spreading weed killer over your entire lawn, use a pre-mixed spot treatment, directed at the root of the problem.

Additional ideas

• Keep the Ours to Protect season calendar handy so the entire region is sending a consistent message.
• Place a link to the "Ours to Protect" program on your Web site.
• Place our fertilizer ad in your newspaper.
• Check out the Ours to Protect calendar of events.

Visit www.semcog.org for additional information.

For questions about the "Our Water. Our Future. Ours to Protect." program contact Iris Steinberg at steinberg@semcog.org or 313-961-4266.

Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
535 Griswold Street, Suite 300 Detroit, MI 48226-3602
313-961-4266 - Fax 313-961-4869
www.semcog.org