Florida Yards &
Neighborhoods (FYN) ...

FYN Principle #8 -
Reduce Stormwater Runoff

Whether we live on the water or not, everything that we do in our yard has a major impact on the health of our water supply. Our sandy, quick-draining soils quickly lead directly to the subsurface aquifers that supply us with our water. There are a number of things that you can do to protect our water supply for yourself and generations to come:

• Direct downspouts and gutters to drain onto the lawn, plant beds or any other porous surface.

• Plant groundcovers where grass will not thrive (on steep slopes, for example) to reduce erosion.

• Create swales (low areas) and berms (raised earthen areas) to control runoff.

• Use rain barrels and cisterns to collect rainwater that can be reused on the landscape.

• Promptly clean up any chemical or oil spills and pet waste so they are not carried into our water supply.

• Maximize porous surfaces: mulch, rocks, groundcovers, etc. versus pavement.