Even if you aren't living on a lake you affect the health of nearby lakes, wetlands, and streams. In most urban and suburban areas, your street connects to downstream lakes, wetlands and streams through the storm sewer system. Water runs off your street and yard into storm sewers, collecting pollutants along the way, and eventually makes it into our lakes and streams.  

How can you help to protect and improve clean water? 

There are many ways you can protect and improve water quality. Learn about rainscaping (landscaping to reduce runoff) from these sources below and check out our pages on rain gardens, stormwater harvesting (rain barrels), permeable pavers, and natural lakeshore restoration.

• Keep water clean!

• Blue Thumb -  planting for clean water 

• Rainscaping.org

• Rain Gardens; Rain Barrels; Natural Lakeshore Restoration; Permeable Pavers

• Grants and Cost-Sharing