Many people use fertilizers, weed killers and pesticides to enhance their yards and gardens.
But, if you use too much of these products or apply them at the wrong time, runoff can easily carry them from your lawn or garden into storm drains and ditches. From there they can end up in lakes, streams, rivers and marine waters.
Weed killers and pesticides are designed to kill plants and
animals. However, when they get into our waters, they can kill plants and animals that are not a problem. Fish, amphibians and aquatic insects are vulnerable to these chemicals. Like in the garden, fertilizer in lakes and streams makes plants grow. But too much algae and other aquatic plant growth can make boating, fishing and swimming
unpleasant. What’s more, as the algae and other plants decay, they use up the oxygen in the water that fish and other aquatic life need. All these small, dispersed sources add up to a big pollution problem. But each of us can do small things to help clean up our waters too, and that adds
up to a pollution solution!