How to Reduce Water Runoff & Sediment

Plant!!

Plants, whether trees, shrubs, grasses or forbs, help hold the soil in place, slow down water runoff and help filter pollutants.

To reduce soil erosion losses and slow down water runoff, establish vegetation on all bare areas. Use mulch or a geotextile fabric to temporarily stabilize areas until vegetation is established.

Keep a "buffer strip" of at least 25 feet wide along streams or waterways of dense vegetation. Natural vegetation along the water’s edge and bank allows pollutants to filter out and also stabilizes the bank. Native vegetation, both woody and prairie are naturally deep-rooted

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Buffer Zones - Buffer strips are most effective when they start at the stream edge with grasses or small shrubs, then, as you move away from the water's edge, have shrubs and trees.

Always plant vegetation native to your area. Also keep in mind the moisture, sunlight and soil requirements for the plants. Click here for plants native to the midwest.

Remove invasive plants and replace them with native vegetation. Invasive plants (like buckthorn) don’t provide effective bank stabilization, and readily shed limbs contribute to debris jams in the stream channel.  Common non-desirable plants

Where tiles and storm sewers outlet into streams, stabilize the area where the concentrated flow outlets into the stream.

Root Diagram of Plant Species

Build a Rain Garden

A rain garden is a landscape feature planted with perennial native plants. It is designed as a bowl shape to hold a few inches of water when it rains, allowing the water to soak into the soil instead of run off into storm sewers.

Rain gardens can be small or large, formal or informal or anywhere in between.

Studies have shown that up to 70% of the pollution in streams, rivers and lakes is carried there by stormwater. By installing a rain garden, you can hold back the water washing off of your yard and carrying fertilizers, pesticides and other pollutants with it. The rain garden is like your own personal water quality filtering system – it filters water runoff from your roof and lawn and recharges the groundwater.

Keeping rain where it falls, by putting it into a rain garden, is a natural solution to reducing water pollution and flooding. You not only get a beautiful garden, but you also have the added benefit of helping protect our water supplies. See More Information page.

Diagram showing the dish-bottom shape of a rain garden (6" deep).  This is to store rain water until it infiltrates into the soil.

Established rain garden

Build a Rain Barrel

A rain barrel collects and stores rain water from your rooftop.  Water collected in a rain barrel would normally flow through your downspout, across paved surfaces and then go into the storm drain.  Rain barrels help reduce water pollution by reducing storm water runoff that can contain pollutants like oil, grease, nutrients, pesticides and bacteria.  Storing rain water also helps recharge groundwater and can lower water costs.  An estimated 1300 gallons of water are gathered in rain barrels during peak summer months.  This water can be used for your lawn or garden plants.

Home-made rain barrels are relatively easy to construct from 55-gallon drums and a few other basic components. The following is a simple construction sequence: ¹
1. Drill holes for fittings. First drill three holes in the barrel. One for the spigot to connect your garden house to the barrel and the other fittings to allow for more barrels in the future. One of the barrels must have an overflow fitting near the top of the barrel. If you plan on using 3/4 inch fittings use a 1 inch hole saw to cut the holes. If you have an adjustable hole saw make it a little smaller than 1 inch.
2. Attach fittings. Place plumbing sealant on a 3/4 inch galvanized metal nipple and its threads. Using a pair of locking pliers, thread the nipple into the barrel hole for the fitting.
3. Cut the down spout at the proper height. You should place the rain barrel on one or two concrete blocks and then determine the proper height. After cutting the down spout attach the necessary elbows and extensions to have the down spout reach the barrel. Attach a 4 inch by 2 inch ABS plastic converter to the end of the down spout and attach a fine mesh screen over the converter (you can use a paint sprayer filter which you can get at a hardware store for about $1).
4. Add additional barrels. If you wish to add more barrels do so at this time. Attach a garden hose Y fitting on the 3/4 inch nipples. Position the barrels on top of the concrete blocks and cut the right length of garden hose to connect the barrels (with male fittings attached to both ends).
5. End product. Attach an overflow line on the first barrel. Place it near the top of the barrel and attach it to hose or tube for any overflow. Note that you must remove one of the two bung fittings on the top of the barrel and cover it with a small screen.

Stream Bank Erosion Control

Often, natural meandering stream channels are modified to improve drainage. Straightening or dredging results in increased downstream flooding, increased erosion and sediment loads.

• Avoid channel reshaping and straightening. Before any modifications, contact the City Planning Department or the Adams County Highway Department. Generally, any stream modification requires a joint permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

• For assistance with bank erosion problems, contact the Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District at 217/224-9305, Extension 3. They can provide recommendations and possibly financial assistance for stream bank stabilization & restoration. 

This rock riffle helps control erosion in the stream channel, prevents bank erosions and improves stream habitat by creating a pool.

Streambank shown on left is eroding; on right, the same bank after stabilization.

Mowing

• Never mow to the edge of a stream bank or shoreline of a lake. Leave a buffer of at least 25 feet for native plants and good root development.
• Never mow bluegrass shorter than 2.5" in height. The height allows larger and deeper root systems, making stronger defense against weeds and droughts.

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Composting

Composting is not only environmentally friendly, it is easy!   Instead of disposing of yard wastes (leaves and grass clippings) along your stream bank, compost it!  Compost can:

• Suppress plant diseases and pests
• Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers
• Promote better growth of plants and trees
• Reduce the volume of materials in landfills

To get started, you will need to remove grass and sod cover from the area where you construct your compost pile, or use a composting structure (see different types on next page).

1^st layer: 3 – 4" of chopped brush or other coarse material on top of the soil surface. This material allows air circulation around the base of the heap.

2^nd layer: 6 – 8" of mixed scraps, leaves, grass clippings, etc. Materials should be "sponge damp."

3^rd layer: 1" of soil to serve as an inoculant by adding microorganisms to the heap.

4^th layer: This layer is optional. 2 – 3" of manure to provide the nitrogen needed by microorganisms. Sprinkle lime, wood ash, and /or rock phosphate over the layer of manure to reduce the heap’s activity. Add water if the manure is dry. Add one pound of urea fertilizer or 10 pounds of composted poultry manure per yard of leaves or ground brush if organic sources of nitrogen are not available. Soak these high carbon materials with water before composting. Manure should generally not be used in cities to reduce the potential for fly problems.

5^th layer: Repeat steps 1 – 4 until the bin is full. Scoop out a "basin" at the top to catch rainwater under summer conditions.

A properly made heap will reach temperatures of 140 degrees F in 4 – 5 days. At this time, you will notice the pile settling. This is a sign that everything is working properly. After 3 weeks, move the materials into a new pile, mixing thoroughly. You can have compost after 6 – 8 weeks or longer depending upon the materials being composted.

Kitchen Waste
Lawn Clippings
Chopped Leaves
Shredded Branches
Garden Plants (disease free)
Shredded Paper
Weeds (before they go to seed)
Straw or Hay
Newspaper
Wood Ash (spread lightly between layers)
Tea Leaves and Coffee Grounds