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USA Today
30-05-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Smart stormwater tips for homeowners to keep water sources in good shape
Smart stormwater tips for homeowners to keep water sources in good shape Show Caption Hide Caption Home improvement contest offers $50,000 for renovation from USA TODAY Content creator Jenna Phipps and USA TODAY are partnering on Project Home Improved to offer $50,000 for your home renovation project. Gannett There's no question that everybody wants healthy streams, creeks and green spaces in their community for their family to enjoy safely. Stormwater management – keeping excess runoff from rain and snow and the contaminants that they carry from polluting local water sources – is essential to maintain the health and well being of native fish and wildlife, as well as the quality of water that your family uses every day. Home builders install silt fences and dig retention ponds to control stormwater runoff during construction. But once a community is completed, the way it is maintained makes a big difference to the health of nearby waterways. Consider the following ways that you can help keep your community clean and healthy for the enjoyment of many generations to come. Homeownership costs: Rising cost of homeowners insurance is scaring away millions of Americans Fertilizing When it rains, lawns that are over-fertilized can wash pesticides and herbicides into the storm drains on your street, eventually carrying it to the local water source – possibly the source of your drinking water. According to the Center for Watershed Protection, more than 50 percent of lawn owners fertilize their lawns, but only 10 to 20 percent of those home owners actually perform a soil test to determine the fertilization needs of the lawn. Before you buy your first bag, take time to do the soil test – you may find that you don't even need to fertilize. If you do need to fertilize your lawn: Keep it on the grass, use it sparingly and consider using organic products Hold off if there is a chance of a rain storm shortly after applying it to your lawn When you mow, don't bag the grass. The clippings will naturally fertilize your lawn. But sweep those fertilizer-rich clippings off the sidewalk and roadway so they don't go down the storm drain. Trees Planting a tree is a great way to help keep polluted stormwater from reaching storm drains. The roots help rainwater filter back into the soil, cutting down on excess runoff. As an added benefit, trees can help cut summer cooling costs by providing shade to the home, and in many cases they help the increase the value of your home. Gardens Plants that are native to your region require less water and nutrients to survive and are more resistant to pests and disease — therefore less fertilization is required. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin has a searchable database to help get you started — visit to see what flowers, trees and shrubs work best in your community. Rain barrels Rain barrels collect stormwater runoff from a home's roof via the rain gutters. They hold the water temporarily, cutting down on the amount of water that reaches the sewer system. The water can then be used to water lawns and gardens. Purchase your rain barrel at a local home and garden store or build it yourself — step-by-step instructions are available on the Environmental Protection Agency's website, These are just a few suggestions to help get you started on the road to a cleaner and healthier community. Get involved in your local watershed organization to find out how you can make a difference. Visit and searching for 'surf your watershed.' The BIA is a strong believer and supporter of proper stormwater management. We work closely with the Stark Soil & Water Consevation District to make sure our developers and builders are using correct techniques for building structures. One of our most recent Developers Council meetings featured District Manager Dan Kunz offering suggestions. For more information on stormwater management and other environmental initiatives, contact the BIA of Stark County at or visit the Javan Yoder is 2025 president of the Building Industry Association of Stark & East Central Ohio.
Axios
21-03-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Expect a strong bluebonnet season in Houston
It's bluebonnet blooming season, and the Houston area — unlike much of the state — is expected to put on a solid show. Driving the season: We had plenty of rainfall last year, setting the stage for a vibrant early wildflower bloom. But areas like Central Texas and Western Texas that have faced a drier year and ongoing drought conditions will probably have sparser fields of bluebonnets and Texas paintbrushes, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. What they're saying:"If predicting the weather is a challenge, then predicting the wildflower bloom for a big state like Texas is even more of a challenge," Andrea DeLong-Amaya, the Wildflower Center's horticulture director, said in this year's wildflower report. "With fluctuations in weather and micro-climate scenarios (where one small geographical area may have received different weather than others), it's sometimes hard to make a big sweeping prediction. This is one of those years." The big picture: Fall's showers lead to spring flowers. Areas like Brenham and College Station will probably have lots of blooms, DeLong-Amaya expects. In Central Texas, early bloomers are a bit sparse this year — but that leaves more room for later spring and summer flowers to thrive. If spring brings more moisture, expect stronger appearances from late bloomers like firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella) and purple horsemint (Monarda citriodora). The bottom line: You don't have to drive very far to see the spring pizzazz. Just be mindful to avoid trampling the blooms, so others can enjoy them, too. If you go: Houston Botanic Garden, Buffalo Bayou, Memorial Park and White Oak Bayou inside the loop should have wildflowers popping up soon.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildflower Center releases spring flower forecast
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center released its annual spring wildflower forecast Tuesday morning. The wildflower forecast for spring 2025 is rather 'mixed' depending on what part of Texas you live and what level of drought you're dealing with. Here in Central Texas our drought worsened significantly in the fall of last year and continued an overall worsening trend in much of this winter season. Parts of the state that are suffering most from drought may not have the best bloom of wildflowers this year, according to Andrea DeLong-Amaya, the horticulture director at the Wildflower Center. Whereas eastern parts of Texas, where rain has been more plentiful, are already showing signs of a solid spring bloom. She expects that the drought that worsened significantly last fall may limit the number of germinating plants this spring, even though recent rains will help those that did germinate. This potentially impacts the early spring bloomers more so than the later season flowers, which will have more space to flourish later in the season and into summer. According to DeLong-Amaya, 'the late fall drought will likely hinder this year's early-blooming wildflowers such as Texas bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) and Texas paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) in the western part of the state.' Parts of Central Texas are experiencing similar levels of drought as the western part of the state and may find a similarly underwhelming spring wildflower season. However, some KXAN viewers have reported sightings of the Texas bluebonnets coming late in January before our most recent frozen and wintry weather. Watch KXAN at 4pm today as we welcome Andrea DeLong-Amaya for a live interview. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
