WATER: TOO LITTLE THEN TOO MUCH
            Water is a treasure we cannot live without. It’s on our minds and in our prayers when we do not have enough. It’s trouble when there is too much. And more trouble when our drinking water supply is contaminated unexpectedly.
            Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn urges you to use the information in a new manual, From Trouble to Treasure: A Pocket Guide to “Green” Solutions to get started on restoring the natural ability of our landscapes to manage stormwater. The manual is a publication of the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) and copies may be downloaded free from http://greenvalues.cnt.org.
            As cities and villages grow and development dots the countryside, people become dependent on government to manage stormwater that runs off from their property. Spending for community solutions grows. Research reveals that much of costly stormwater management could be avoided by alternative “green solutions”, which can be adopted by property owners – individually, in neighborhoods, and in communities.
            “Green solutions manage stormwater where it falls,” explains the CNT manual. “Green solutions can involve protecting open space, like wetlands and nature preserves, and designing new developments using sustainable principles.”
            “Simple green solutions include activities and landscape features that can start at home. They can solve local water problems quickly and at a reasonable cost, and add up to a big environmental impact.” The manual lists these green solutions:

• Increase tree canopy – leaves catch or slow down raindrops before they hit the ground; tree roots loosen soil so that more water infiltrates the ground.
• Disconnecting downspouts and sump pumps from storm sewers and roadside ditches -- channeling the runoff so that it stays on site.
• Rain barrels – storing water that runs off the roof saving water for future watering needs.
• Permeable pavement – porous surfaces in driveways, alleys, and sidewalks allow water to soak into the ground instead of running off into a storm sewer or ditch.
• Rain gardens – slight depressions filled with native plants where water is caught and soaks into the ground.
• Native plants – plants that have a spongy layer of deep roots and air spaces that allow water to infiltrate more quickly than the short, dense, roots of lawn grasses.

You can partner with your neighbors and encourage your community to use these simple solutions where flooding of yards and streets occurs after heavy rains. Green solutions also work around parking lots, roadways, and public areas. Examples of successful projects are described in the manual along with sources for materials and professional assistance.
Lt. Governor Quinn invites you “to start managing the water resources at home using green solutions that are enjoyable, effective, and rewarding.” He reminds you, “when large numbers of people each do their share, we can accomplish wonderful things.”

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, NRCS/Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District, an equal opportunity provider and employer, 08/08/07 (for publication on 08/18/07 in the Journal Standard, Freeport, Illinois) Della can be reached at info@stephensonswcd.org