Winter is the Perfect Time

Here in the northern part of Wisconsin we will likely have winter for several more months.  Winter is a great time to plan for the summer.

Here are 3 ideas on what you could spend some time planning this winter:

Bergamot

1.  Look at garden websites and native plants. 
Plan a rain garden or native plant area in your yard.  Where has water accumulated?  Where could you redirect a drain spout from your house? 
Check out the Native Plant tab as part of this blog.   Native plants have many benefits - both in terms of cleaning stormwater, adding beauty to your yard, reducing yard maintenance (no mowing), and providing food for pollinators.  Here is a Rain Garden manual with some ideas.  Learn about the zones of a rain garden and what plants could be planted in each.  Here is a site to learn about plants per zone.  
Since we aren't seeing blossoms now outdoors - visit websites or library books on native plants.  The colors are fun - even if we can't take in the nice smells of some of the flowers.   That will have to wait until you have them planted in your yard and the time for blossoming has arrived.

2.  Cleaning Time.  Another winter prep activity could be on cleaning out unwanted materials in your garage, basement or under the sink.  Spring cleaning - or at least on some mild winter days - can be good to take care of items - even unwanted medicines.  Are the pills expired?  Do you not need that can of partial can of paint?  Superior has an agreement with WLSSD in Duluth to bring items to their Hazardous Waste Facility.   Here is our disposal guide.  Here is information on disposal from WLSSD.  Here are their hours.
You also may want to stop for a car wash.  Commercial car washes are designed to capture grit and oil from your vehicle.  Any time of the year - commercial car washes are the preferred practice to wash your car without creating stormwater runoff and sending pollution or debris down storm drains and out to nearby streams.

3. Event Planning  Here is information on planning on setting up recycling at special events: 

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/recycling/awayfromhome.html

Native Plants and Trees for Sale

We still have feet of snow on the ground and more coming today but think green by planning on ordering native plants and trees.  The South St. Louis County Soil and Water District has a sale now taking orders.

Friday, April 18, is the deadline for ordering bare-root seedlings from the South St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservation District. The native trees and shrubs come in bundles of 10 and 25 plants. Pickup is May 15-17. Visit southstlouisswcd.org/treeshrub for info and order forms or call 218-723-4867.

Shoreline and Streambank Management

Today I wanted to write about a topic that doesn't necessarily apply to everyone, but is just as important as other, more widely applicable topics.  Shoreline and streambank management aren't endeavors you can undertake if you don't live on a stream/river or coast.  However, it is still important for you to know about these things so that if you see, say, an unmanicured beach area, you know why it is important that we allow native plants to grow along the water rather than grooming beaches and shoreline areas. 

What is it?  Shoreline and streambank management use a variety strategies to keep shorelines and streambanks stable. Some of these practices include: restoring native vegetation, live staking, brush layering, and many more.  

Why do we need it? Developed shorelines and streambanks, or those without native vegetation, can contribute to a lot of problems. 

Erosion: When shorelines are developed or native plants are cleared so grass lawns give way to sandy beaches, there is an increased risk of erosion.  Usually, soil is held in place by plants and their roots.  Plants also “intercept” rain, meaning that rain hits the plants and is either absorbed or slowed down before it hits the soil.  This prevents erosion because the impact of the rain is decreased when it hits a plant first.  Waves, ice, and surface runoff have more of an impact when native vegetation is removed.

Flooding:  As native vegetation and coastal wetlands are filled, the potential for flooding increases.  Coastal wetlands “absorb” water and store it in, preventing flooding to areas further upland.  Without these natural sponges, there’s nothing to stop this water from flooding upland.  Development can also contribute to flooding through impervious area increases.  Impervious surfaces are those into which water can’t be absorbed, or infiltrate.  Roofs, driveways, roads, sidewalks, and parking lots are all examples of impervious areas.  When it rains on impervious surfaces, this water “runs off” into lakes and streams rather than soaking into the soil.

Water quality: If a lot of erosion is occurring on a shoreline/streambank, all of that sand or soil is going into the water.  Too much sediment in the water is bad for aquatic life.  Also, if you are fertilizing or using pesticides on your lawn and garden right on the water’s edge, those substances could end up in the water.  

Excess nutrients from fertilizers can lead to algal blooms.

These issues don’t just impact the water and the environment.  They can cause problems for you as well.  It’s not great for your home if the ground beneath it is eroding away or if it is regularly flooding.  Ugly algal blooms probably aren’t what you want to see out your windows, either.

What can you do to protect your shoreline/streambank?  Don’t remove native vegetation if you have it.  Make sure you know what species are native and which are invasive.  If you have invasive species, find out the most effective ways to eradicate them.  If you don’t have any native vegetation and have a lawn going to the edge of the water, you should stop mowing the lawn by the water.  Plant native plants in these areas.  Native plants are great because many of them are just as beautiful as non-native ornamental plants, they are often drought resistant, and they attract birds and other wildlife. There are other strategies for streambank/shoreline management, so see the links below for more information.

US EPA

UW Extension

-Written by Jillian Schubert Edwards