This past autumn I've had the opportunity to spend a fair amount of time on our local rivers working on conservation issues. As a result of this work I've become sensitized to the large number of green lawns, often rubbing shoulders, running down to shorelines. These lawns are in the critical area perimeter. They also require fertilizers that add to the pollution of our rivers, rivers already under great stress.
Recently I was invited to the Adkins Arboretum to discuss ways to help bring about a better appreciation of the value of the critical area laws. When thinking about our critical area regulations, many people seem to flinch or whine, complaining about all of the things they can't do. A more constructive way to consider our critical areas, however, might be to begin thinking of all things we can do to preserve our waterways.
Adkins Arboretum has published The Green Book for the Bay, which explains in simple language the importance of critical area protocols, and how each of us can comply with them. The books are illustrated, understandable, and free, and are available at the Arboretum, or at CREB Conservancy's office in St. Michaels (www.crebconservancy.org.) Importantly, The Green Book also provides useful tips on ways to improve riparian landscapes within critical area boundaries.
Specific to lawns, I recently spoke with one of our conservancy volunteers, Dr. Sylvan Kaufman, who has a PHD in ecology, and writes and teaches about sustainable landscaping. Dr. Kaufman has a consulting business in Denton, Sylvan Green Earth Consulting. She provided a number of valuable thoughts, which with her permission, I've summarized below.
The American dream of a swath of green grass around each house has led to the creation of 21 million acres of residential lawns in the U.S. - enough lawn to cover the State of Maryland three times over. Reducing the size of lawns and the use of synthetic fertilizers can make a real contribution to the health of our watersheds.
Lawns provide little food or shelter for wildlife and add no biodiversity to the habitats we create in our yards. Compacted lawns fail to absorb storm runoff. With a minimum of effort, lawns can become environmentally friendly landscapes. Clover, for example, used to be added to most lawn mixes, but because a commonly used herbicide killed it, the lawn industry took it out of typical seed mixes. Certain native sedges and low growing fescues provide attractive no-mow alternatives as well. Replacing lawn with indigenous perennial borders and islands of trees and shrubs will provide more habitat for birds and other wildlife. Gardens and woodlands tend to absorb much more runoff because the soils are healthier and not as compacted. If you choose plants appropriate to our climate, they will also require less watering.
It is not often practical to eliminate the entire lawn because people want a place for kids to play or for the dog to chase balls. For the lawn you keep, use environmentally friendly practices to maintain it. Get a soil test done to determine what your lawn really needs. Many homeowners figure that the more fertilizer they put on the lawn, the greener the lawn will be, but in fact, over-fertilizing will eventually kill the soil microorganisms that help maintain the health of the lawn, and the excess fertilizer will wash into local streams. Spreading a thin layer of compost will provide your lawn with the nutrients it needs each year and will improve the health of the soil, making your lawn less susceptible to weeds and disease. Rather than raking up leaves in the fall, run a mulching mower over them to chop them up and leave them in place to compost into the grass.
If you do use artificial fertilizers, remember to buy fertilizers that do not contain phosphorous. Generally, phosphorous levels in the soils in our area are sufficient for healthy lawn growth without fertilization. Maryland considered a bill banning the non-agricultural use of fertilizers containing phosphorous, but the bill never passed. Annapolis bans the use of fertilizers containing phosphorous though, and other municipalities with similar regulations have measured significant decreases in the concentrations of phosphorous in local waterways.
Consider installing rain gardens in depressions, filling the earth there with plants that can tolerate flooding. They can be placed to capture runoff from gutters, a driveway, or a patio. The rain garden slows the flow of water and filters out pollutants before the water reaches a storm drain or stream. And a rain garden can add real beauty to your landscape.
Organizations like CREB Conservancy and the Adkins Arboretum are available to provide consulting help for those interested in improving critical areas. Take a look at your landscape this winter and see if you can help it capture storm water, provide more wildlife habitat, and add natural beauty to the watershed. When it comes to our critical areas, let's think of all the things we can do protect our rivers.
Tim Junkin is a lawyer and writer, and currently the Executive Director of the Choptank River Eastern Bay Conservancy located in St. Michaels, MD.
