Stormwater runoff and discharges from storm sewers are a primary cause of impaired water quality in the United States due to the fact that, in most areas, stormwater receives no treatment before entering waterbodies. The storm-sewer system merely collects the runoff and discharges it directly to the nearest creek, river, lake, or bay.

Floyd County is home to three large rivers, the Etowah, the Oostanaula and the Coosa, and their dependent ecosystems. We must all work to preserve our rich water resources to allow our rivers to provide us with quality drinking water and safe recreational areas for our community and to support wildlife.

 What is stormwater?

     How does it affect you?

What can you do?

       -Businesses 
       -Construction
       -Individuals - - - kids, too!

BIG CEDAR CREEK
WATERSHED PROJECT
Rolling Hills RC&D is managing a project to address water quality concerns within the Big Cedar Watershed in Polk and Floyd Counties. The project continues through December 2011.
Click here for a one page fact sheet on the project. Or click here for more detailed information:  Project Details

What is stormwater?

Stormwater is the water that falls during a rainstorm. Stormwater discharges are generated by runoff from land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops during rainfall and often contain pollutants in quantities that could adversely affect water quality.  Stormwater is NOT TREATED before it enters our creeks and rivers.

Some common pollutants include spilled oil, fuel, fluids from vehicles and heavy equipment, construction debris, pesticides or weed killers, and materials poured into a street or storm drain such as used motor oil, antifreeze, and paint products.

Did you know...?

• Trash and debris from the streets are washed directly into our local waterways?
• Pet waste that is not disposed of properly can contaminate local water?
• Chemicals such as oil and antifreeze that leak from parked cars flows into our rivers?
• Leaves that are swept into the street can clog storm drains and increase maintenance costs?

Stormwater runoff flows directly into our rivers without treatment and affects everyone who lives in Floyd County. Even though the river may not flow by your property, you can still have a positive or negative effect on our local waters.  When water from rainfall flows across the landscape, it washes soil particles, bacteria, pesticides, fertilizer, pet waste, oil and other toxic materials into our lakes, streams, and groundwater. This is called "nonpoint source pollution" or "polluted runoff." Nonpoint source pollution comes from many different activities in our daily lives like washing cars, fertilizing our lawns, constructing buildings or roads and painting our houses.

Urban and rural nonpoint pollution is a leading cause of water quality problems. Polluted runoff contributes to habitat destruction, fish kills, reduction in drinking water quality, stream siltation, and a decline in recreational use of lakes. 

How does it affect you?

All this affects your water quality, quality of life, and quality of growth in Floyd County, and all of us can play a part by taking a few easy steps. Click on the link below for more information on how YOU can help eliminate pollution in our creeks and rivers. 

If you or your business is interested in the Adopt-A-Stream program, 
please click on the logo above.

Why Plant a Rain Garden?
Planting a rain garden reduces pollution while giving you a garden that is easy to maintain and needs little or no watering.  A rain garden on your property can also conserve water, reduce your monthly water bill and help protect our waterways all at the same time. All that is needed is some basic information, a little imagination and the space on your property to build a rain garden.

How Rain Gardens Work
A rain garden receives stormwater runoff water from roofs or other hard surfaces such as driveways. The rain garden holds or slows the runoff water so that it can soak into the ground instead of flowing into a street and down a storm drain. The plants, mulch and soil in a rain garden combine natural physical, biological and chemical processes to filter and help remove pollutants from runoff.

An effective rain garden depends on water infiltrating into the soil of the garden. Water should stand in a rain garden no longer than 24 hours after the rain stops, no more. Mosquitos cannot complete their breeding cycle in this length of time, so the rain garden should not increase mosquito populations at all.

How to Create a Rain Garden
Constructing a rain garden is fun and easy, but it requires lots of shovel work when built by hand. Click the links below to learn more about rain gardens and the step-by-step process of creating your own.  Rain gardens not only filter rainwater runoff, but also can be a beautiful and practical addition to your landscape.  Be creative in your choice of plants - if you enjoy birds and butterflies, choose plants for your rain garden that attract them. 

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