Cutting a bad habit: Keep grass clippings out of streets, storm drains

Summer is around the corner, and we can see signs of it everywhere we look. Flowers are blooming, fields are being planted, trees are sporting leaves, and lawns are growing so fast they seem to need to be mowed every other day.

While fresh-cut grass may be a sign of the season and the fun times to follow, grass clippings can become a problem when they find their way to the street or ditch and ultimately into a stream.

Most people know not to pour oil down a storm drain, but they might not think twice about sending grass clippings down a drain. Sometimes people direct lawn mower discharge toward the street, sweep or hose clippings from sidewalks and driveways, or dump lawn mower bags into a ditch or onto the curb. Not only are grass clippings in the street a danger for motorcyclists, they are also a threat to the health of our waterways.

Rain washes debris from streets, parking lots, ditches and storm drains directly into local streams without filtration. Even though grass clippings and yard waste come from nature, they are not a natural byproduct of nature because they are either processed or concentrated. This changes the way and speed at which they interact with stream ecosystems. By unnaturally adding too many quick-dissolving nutrients at once to a waterway, they can harm the ecosystem and the life within it.

If it's hard to picture what I mean, let's make a quick comparison. Think of it like sugar.

Our bodies need healthy levels of sugar to function properly. Slow-release sugars such as fruits are better for us than processed sugars found in candy or pop, which can spike blood sugar levels. Similarly, streams need nutrients to sustain aquatic plants and animals. Slow-release nutrients, such as a decaying log or a few fallen leaves, are better than quick-release nutrients such as grass clippings, mulch, piles of leaves or fertilizer.

These processed or concentrated additions create large nutrient loads that drastically increase a stream's nutrient level, which can kill aquatic life and make a stream too unhealthy to support life.

A stream would not naturally be exposed to these conditions, and it suffers when it is forced into them. This is one reason dumping yard waste into a stream is illegal.

A few ways to help protect local waterways include directing mower clippings onto your lawn instead of the street; mulching your grass rather than bagging it to return nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to the soil; composting yard waste; reducing yard size by planting native flowers or trees; and cleaning leaves and grass away from nearby storm drains.

This summer, cut a bad habit. Keep grass clippings where they belong: on your lawn and out of our waterways.

For more information on preventing nonpoint source pollution, protecting streams or composting, visit medinaswcd.org or contact the Medina County Soil and Water Conservation District at 330-722-9322.