II. Stormwater Runoff Quality Improvement

II. Stormwater Runoff Quality Improvement

As rainwater washes over developed areas, pollutants are picked up and carried into the storm drainage system and local waterways. Community members can implement a variety of storm water runoff quality improvement measures that can help enhance ecosystem health by improving the quality of runoff flowing to receiving waters and habitats. These measures act by filtering out sediment, nutrients, toxic metals, pesticides, and bacteria, and by biologically degrading harmful chemicals.

I. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Pollution Prevention:
A major component of IPM is to control pest populations while decreasing the need for harmful pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Preventing these contaminants from washing into streams and the ocean as constituents of stormwater runoff is a primary goal of IPM. Long‐term pest prevention through a combination of biological control, habitat modification, modification of cultural practices and use of pesticide‐resistant plant varieties.

Limits need for pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers which contribute to runoff pollution

Implementation of Biological Pest Control and Pollution Prevention:

Identify your pests correctly and determine whether they need to be controlled
Learn about the pests’ life‐cycles
Learn about natural enemies of pests including fungi, bacteria, viruses insects spiders, and birds

Encourage natural enemies by planting flowering and nectar‐producing plants. Common beneficial enemies of pests in California:
- Lady beetles
- Lacewings
- Syrphids fly
- Parasitic mini‐wasps
- Spiders

Remove pests from plants by water spray, using barriers and traps, soil solarization, and heat treatments
Till the soil in weedy areas
Use mulch to reduce weeds instead of herbicides
Hand remove large pests and weeds
Select disease resistant varieties of landscape plants
Plant varieties adapted to local geographic and soil conditions
Maintain proper pH of soil
Use crop rotation disrupts the life‐cycle of pests
Plant and harvest earlier to promote healthier plants and avoid peak insect populations
Remove pest infested plant material in fall
Plant a variety of plants to promote natural enemy diversity
Evaluate the availability of sunlight and water
For lawns, set mower to 2‐2 1/2 inches and mow often
Learn about your soils so as not to over‐fertilize or over‐apply insecticides
Use mulching mower to provide natural fertilizer
Use slow release fertilizers including compost as natural fertilizer
Leave clippings and leaves on ground as natural fertilizer
Fertilize properly (ornamental trees do not need fertilizer)
Water properly to avoid susceptibility to disease (water at the drip line of plants and trees rather than at the stem or trunk)
Only use garden chemicals as a last resort
Keep garden chemicals off of impervious surfaces and practice proper disposal
Many chemical controls are only effective at certain periods of the pest’s life‐cycle; Use pest‐specific chemicals at proper concentrations and time period
Avoid using pyrethroid insecticides, which are the most harmful to aquatic life
Use less toxic insecticides such as microbial and inorganic solutions (soaps and oils)
Do not apply chemicals if rain is in the forecast

Resources:

Bio‐Integral‐Resource Center

CA Gov IPM Landscaping

Car Care for Cleaner Water

Clean‐Water Rethinking Yard Care

Clean‐Water Lawn and Garden Fertilizers

Composting at Home

Ecology Action: IPM in Santa Cruz County

Eco Wise Certified

IPM UC Davis: Beneficial Insects

IPM UC Davis: Garden Chemicals and Water Quality

PM UC Davis: Landscape Plants

IPM UC Davis: Landscape Design

IPM UC Santa Cruz: General

Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

Our Water Our World IPM fact sheets

II. Home Auto Care:
Where you wash and how well you maintain your car can play a significant role in reducing the contamination of stormwater runoff that does leave your property.

Reduces the level of contamination of stormwater runoff that might leave a property
Lowers the chance of having to pay for expensive auto repairs in the long term

Keep cars well tuned
Check for drips and repair leaks immediately
Clean oil and chemical spots with cat litter, sweep up and throw away
Don’t scrub spots with chemical agents and wash with water
Wash cars on lawns or gravel driveways or at a commercial carwash rather than on impervious driveways to prevent soapy runoff from draining into streams and/or the ocean
Dump soapy water from washing a car down a plumbing drain, not into the street
Recycle used motor oil, used car batteries and antifreeze if possible