Surface Water Management Division
Practice Natural Yard Care
Making simple choices prevents water pollution.
 Why Natural Yard Care?
Rain washes pesticides and fertilizers off lawns and gardens into nearby storm drains and local waterways.
Natural Yard Care techniques will grow a healthier, beautiful, and easy to care for yard and garden that are healthier for your family, pets, and the environment.
Follow these 5 easy steps to
Natural Yard Care:
Download the Natural Yard Care guide to learn how to put these steps into practice. It provides a handy calendar to follow each season.
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Build healthy soil
With compost and mulch your soil - and your garden - will be healthier, reduce your water bill, improve water quality in our streams and reduce your work.
Growing Healthy Soil
Composting
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Plant right for your site
Reduce maintenance in your garden by selecting plants that thrive in your site's conditions (sun, shade, moisture, use). Select pest- and disease-resistant varieties that will thrive in your garden's unique conditions.
Choosing the Right Plants
The Plant List
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Practice Smart Watering
Did you know that watering too much or too little is the cause of many common plant problems in our area? You can have healthier plants, save money on water bills, reduce runoff, and conserve precious water by learning to give your lawn and garden just what they need, and no more.
Smart Watering
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Think twice before using chemical pesticides
Scientists have found 23 pesticides (weed and bug killers) in our local streams, many at levels that may damage pets, fish and other wildlife. Overuse of these products can also damage soil and plant health. And studies find increased health risks among families that use lawn and garden pesticides, especially among pets and children. The good news is that we really don't need most of those chemicals.
Start with prevention. Have the problem diagnosed before you spray. Accept a little damage - give nature time to work. If a pest or weed problem develops, use the least toxic solution. Use chemical pesticides as the last resort. And replace problem plants with pest-resistant ones for a healthier, easier to care for yard.
Grow Smart, Grow Safe (external link)
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Practice Natural Lawn Care
It's easy to put these steps to work in our lawns, where we use the most pesticides, fertilizer, and water, produce the most water, and work too hard!
Natural Lawn Care
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