Why should you care?

As stormwater runoff travels over driveways, lawns, and sidewalks, it picks up a wide variety of chemicals, waste, and trash that are not naturally found in waterways. Stormwater runoff enters the storm drain system through inlets and discharges untreated into creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes. Local concerns include Turtle Creek and the ponds in Williams Park, Curtis Park, and Caruth Park.

Some chemicals and other substances in stormwater can be toxic, even at small levels. They endanger plants and animals that depend on the water to survive. Other items containing no chemicals like leaves and grass clippings decompose in our waterways and cause the same problems for fish and aquatic life. Soil, sand, and minerals used in landscaping can also cloud waterways. Again, that inhibits underwater plant growth and depletes oxygen levels.

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1. Why should you care?
2. What can you do?