More Ideas

Have you already checked out our list of 5 Simple Things and ready to move onto the next level? Here are a lot of tips for ways you can help protect the Bay.

Conserve Water

Water, water everywhere? Despite the fact that we live near streams, rivers, and the Bay, water conservation is still important. We all learned about the water cycle in school, so if it is all one big loop, why do we need to worry about how much water we use? It's because we are using freshwater faster than the water cycle, and water treatment plants, can keep up. Western states are already facing water crises with limits on water usage, so if we can all do our part to use less water now hopefully we can avoid a similar crisis.

Some tips to save water outside:

Landscape using native plants that require less water
Water lawns in early morning or early evenings, when temperatures and wind speeds are lowest, to reduce evaporation
Use a soaker hose instead of a sprinkler system to better target the water to your plants
Use mulch generously to help retain moisture
Set your lawnmower blades to three inches, to encourage your lawn to grow deeper roots and hold moisture better.

Tips to save water inside:

Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when water hasn't been run in your home. If the reading isn't exactly the same, you've got a leak somewhere
A leaky toilet is often overlooked as a water waster. So, place a few drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. If the color leaks into the bowl, replace the flapper
Check for leaky faucets, they can usually be fixed easily with new washers
Install faucet aerators to slow the flow of water in sinks, and use low-flow showerheads in the tub

Reduce Pollution

Unfortunately, much of what we do simply by living is produce waste and other pollution. When we heat our homes or drive, we release carbon dioxide, nitrates, and other pollutants into the air. These not only make their way into the Bay where they fuel algal blooms, lead to low dissolved oxygen, and less clear Bay water, but those pollutants are also in the air we breathe. When we fertilize our lawns and gardens, walk our pets, or mow our yards we also release pollutants. That's the bad news. But the good news is that we can take steps to drastically reduce that pollution. Here are a few ideas:

Limit your driving whenever possible. Consider carpooling or even buying a hybrid or other fuel-efficient car the next time you shop for cars
Consider reducting fertilizer usage, and fertilize lawns and gardens in the fall when they are less likely to wash into the Bay and cause problems
Use rainbarrels, plant buffers, and other means to reduce run-off from your property. Even if your yard doesn't border a water-body, water and pollutants from it still make their way into the groundwater or drainage pipes that do enter the Bay.
If you have a septic system, maintain it. Pump it out regularly to make sure those nutrients are seeping into the Bay
Save money and energy in your house. The less electricity you use, the less the power plants have to create which reduces air pollution.Turn off lights when rooms aren't in use, choose Energy Star appliances, set your thermostat to 68 degrees F in the winter and 78 degrees F in the summer to save hundreds on your electrical bill each year