Nebraska H20

NEBRASKAH2O – Kearney

Stormwater Pollution is an everyday issue that is created by everyday activities. Simple steps that require just a LITTLE effort can minimize the impacts of Stormwater Pollution.

Waterwise Wednesday: Tree Watering

Trees, like people, appreciate water during hot spells.

Poke a tool like a long screw driver into the soil near the tree. If the ground is rock solid, it’s time to water. If it’s wet or muddy hold off.

Many of a tree’s roots rest between 12-24 inches below the surface – so a long slow sprinkle of 1 to 2 inches of water should help reach these roots (unless it’s competing with lawn turf). Move the hose around the root zone, which reaches about 1.5 times the height of the tree, to cover the entire root system when watering.

Photo: South Broadway Plaza May 2019 by L. Sato

Rain Barrels on Display

By diverting the runoff from our roof, there will be a reduction in stormwater runoff into nearby waterways- such as the Wood River and Platter River. An average barrel costs between $50 and $120. You can make your own out of any used water tight container.

Waterwise Wednesday: Water Harvesting

Capture and reuse rain runoff to supplement regular watering and reduce demand on the public water system with these ideas.

1. Gently mound dirt along a plant’s dripline to hold and infiltrate runoff.

2. Re-use household wastewater from dehumidifiers or air conditioning condensers for irrigation.

3. Install a rain barrel or cistern. Rain barrels can store the water until the weather turns dry and is needed.

4. Plant a rain garden – the basin will hold runoff while providing the yard with color and pollinator habitat.

Photo via gilintx via Flickr CC

Stormwater Landscaping Ideas

This form of Stormwater Best Management Practice needs a few things to keep in mind: the infiltration rate must be slow enough to lose pollutants but fast enough to avoid prolonged periods of ponded water. It’s usually thought that 24 hours draw down time is optimal.

Waterwise Wednesday: Persistent Perchlorate

Enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks. And please take time to carefully sweep firework launch and debris landing areas and properly dispose of the debris afterwards.

Perchlorate, a compound used as an oxidizing agent in fireworks (i.e., fuel to make the firework burn), persists in soil and water.

How persistent? Well, Mt. Rushmore National Memorial’s firework shows stopped in 2009. In a 2016 US Geological Survey high levels of perchlorate were still reported in the park – 38 micrograms in a groundwater sample and 54 micrograms/liter in a stream, both in excess of the EPA’s 15 micrograms per liter, and 274 times higher than samples taken outside the memorial park’s borders.

Waterwise Wednesday: Timing is Everything

Summer has officially arrived. And water use triples in Scottsbluff primarily due to lawn and landscape watering. Timing your watering can save you money and the city water supply.

1. Know how much water your landscape actually needs before you set your sprinkler. Automatic sprinkler systems can waste up to 50% more water than manual when timers are set and left instead of adjusted for current moisture and temperature.

2. Water in the early morning or after the sun goes down in the evening when its cooler and calmer. Its estimated that 50 percent of sprinkler water goes to waste from evaporation, wind, or runoff.

3. Install a smart controller that uses weather data to determine when and how much to water.

Photo © Publicdomainphotos

Waterwise Wednesday: Water Safety Tips

Swimmers are bobbing at the pools and lakes. Remember a few tips to stay safe and enjoy the water all summer.

– Always swim with a buddy. Don’t assume that lifeguards can see everything, they’re watching several people at once. Children should always be under active supervision.

– Explore cautiously and make sure you’re comfortable with the body of water you’re swimming in. Rivers and lakes can have undertows. Never dive into an unfamiliar area.

– Remember, more strength is needed to swim in a current.
If you get caught in a current, don’t panic or try to fight it. Float with it, or swim parallel to the shore.

Rain Garden Info

Rain gardens are a great way to add an aesthetic element that serves a purpose besides being pleasant to look at. A rain garden has numerous advantages- bird/butterfly habitat, reduces mosquito breeding, conserves water, filters off pollutants, enhance sidewalk appeal etc…

Walter Walleye Meets Hiram the Pioneer

Hiram from the Western Nebraska Pioneers Baseball and Nebraska H2O’s Walter Walleye

Lied Scottsbluff Public Library hosted a SUN-SATIONAL STAR-STUDDED MORNING on Tuesday, June 11th for A Universe of Stories-Children’s Summer Reading Program. Participants enjoyed a skit by Western Nebraska Community College Theater and variety of activity booths.

Nebraska H2O’s Walter Walleye and Western Nebraska Pioneer Baseball ‘s Hiram mingled with the kids and families.

Butterflies and Bees Thank the TAC!

Thank you to Lied Scottsbluff Public Library’s Teen Advisory Council (TAC) for planting a Bloom Box in celebration of Nebraska Wildflower Week last Friday.

The Bloom Box contained 24 hand-picked native and pollinator friendly plants from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and the TAC planted them according to the design template included with the box. A mini Greener Nebraska Towns grant provided additional plants for the plaza.

Thank you, TAC!