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Rein in Thirsty Texas Landscapes

June 12, 2013 by Chris LaChance

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“There are two ways to face the rainless weeks. One is to water, and the other is merely not to.” Elizabeth Lawrence, a Southern gardener.

Perhaps this is a bit too simplified, but we do have to face the fact that in a world of overburdened water supplies and weather extremes, conserving water in the landscape whenever and however we can has never been more critical. During July, August, and September, Texans’ increase their water use by as much as 58%, with half of what is used to irrigate landscapes being wasted due to over-watering or runoff. The projection for the Houston area is that the population will double by the year 2030, but our water supplies are finite leading us to realize that even though we may get all the rain we need, more people means water shortages–frog-strangling deluges or not.  Continue Reading »

Posted in drought, native plants, Resilience, Uncategorized, watersmart | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Coming soon to a bayou by you

February 25, 2013 by Mary Carol Edwards

Many park destinations are along Houston’s bayous, but often you can’t follow the waterway from one destination to the next. That’s a limitation when you want to travel through the park–walking the dog, running, or biking–as opposed to settling in for a picnic or sunbath.  Happily, the Bayou Greenways 2020 program will fill the missing links between public green spaces with a continuous trail system along the major bayous. Continue Reading »

Posted in stormwater, Walkability | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Rain Garden Research Round Up

January 24, 2013 by Charriss York

Lisa Stiffler compiles a long list of rain garden studies in a recent blog post and explains in plain English the benefits of a rain garden in removing pollutants from stormwater runoff.  Check out “Are Rain Gardens Mini Toxic Cleanup Sites” for a great overview of rain garden research.

Posted in rain garden, runoff pollution, stormwater | Leave a Comment »

Resolutions You can Actually Keep: Clean water in 2013!

January 8, 2013 by Charriss York

As 2012 has come to a close many of us are contemplating the promise of 2013 and what the new blank slate might hold.  This is a great time to reflect on our everyday decisions and how we can make small changes to help the world around us.

In this vein, I ask you to consider a couple questions…

  1. Do I make decisions in my everyday life that help improve water quality?
  2. Do my actions inadvertently harm the bayou?
  3. Do I set a positive example for my friends and neighbors?   Continue Reading »

Posted in Galveston Bay, runoff pollution, stormwater | Leave a Comment »

Bay-friendly Landscaping Begins at Your Watershed Address

January 7, 2013 by Chris LaChance

Planted wetlands help protect Brays Bayou

Planted wetlands help protect Brays Bayou

Over-watering causes runoff.

Over-watering causes runoff.

Armand Bayou leads to Galveston Bay

Armand Bayou leads to Galveston Bay

What is your watershed address? If you do not have an answer then it probably means you are not sure how or even if you are connected to Galveston Bay. Actually, everyone lives in a watershed whether or not a body of water is in view. Simply put, a watershed is the land from which water drains on its way to the nearest bayou, river, lake or bay. Your watershed address bears the name of that accepting water body. For example, I live in the White Oak Bayou Watershed. Water from my yard makes its way into the stormdrain and flows, unfiltered, to White Oak Bayou and ultimately empties into Galveston Bay.
Galveston Bay is a complex mixture of salt and fresh water and is teaming with life. On the land, it is surrounded by prairies and marshes which form rich estuaries, or nurseries, for marine species like crabs, shrimp and oysters. The entire area supports a vibrant, diverse wildlife population. Galveston Bay also ends up being a repository for pollutants found in urban runoff. Stormwater, or rainwater, flows from surfaces that cannot absorb water—impervious surfaces like roofs, streets and parking lots—and from our own landscapes carrying with it substances like motor oil, litter, fertilizers, pesticides and pet waste that all end up in the bay. One way we can make a difference in the health of our watershed and of Galveston Bay is to use landscaping practices that are bay-friendly—working with, not against nature. Continue Reading »

Posted in Bay-friendly, drought, freshwater inflows, Galveston Bay, native plants, rain garden, Resilience, runoff pollution, stormwater, watersmart | Leave a Comment »

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