Page 14 - Overview Summer 2019

OVERLAND PARK’S INTO ECOLOGY
Summer 2019
Storm inlet stenciling
Creeks, streams, ponds, lakes and rivers are all part of the natural beauty and balance of living in the Midwest. While rivulets, puddles and patches of water may appear independent, they are all interconnected. We are all responsible for their protection.
What does this have to do with you?
You may not have a stream running next to your property or a pond in your backyard, but that stretch of asphalt with concrete gutters in front of your home connects directly to all the waterways in our community. The storm drainage system whisks away rainwater from your property, emptying into a nearby stream. The stream drains to a river. You and your neighbors drink and bathe in treated water from the river. Unfortunately, besides protecting your neighborhood, storm drains can also carry pollutants into the river.
Wha
Don
s
o
a
?
’
t
c
t
c
t
u
a
a
s
s
n
y
n
y
e
s
e
s
o
o
t
t
u
d
u
d
o
o
r
d
r
d
o
t
o
t
r
r
o
h
o
h
a
a
i
i
n
n
e
e
s
s
l
l
,
s
,
s
p
p
?
m m
You can also help by volunteering to stencil a “Dump No Waste, Drains To Stream” reminder on top of inlets in your neighborhood. For more information, contact Jim Twigg at 913-895-6273 or [email protected].
t
t
r
r
e
e
e
t
place for paint, leaves, antifreeze or oil. Unlike drains inside your home, street inlets are not connected to a sewage treatment system. Chemicals improperly disposed of in the storm drainage system threaten rivers and streams, which benefit us all.
n
’
u
e
t
t
s
s
o
or curbs as a dumping
Save Money & Help the Environment
Rain barrels, rain gardens, native trees and native plantings may be more helpful financially and environmentally than you think.
Overland Park homeowners and businesses are being offered a chance to help the environment and receive some financial assistance from the City.
The city is partnering with the Johnson County Stormwater Management Program to provide a $10,000 cost-share program to aid in the improvement of water quality from stormwater runoff.
Stormwater runoff is generated when rain, snow melt and surface water flows over land or impervious surfaces like streets, parking lots, sidewalks, driveways, rooftops and more. When the water flows over land and other hard surfaces, it collects dirt, litter and other pollutants, which damage the ecosystems of our streams and lakes.
You can help. By installing rain barrels, rain gardens, native trees and native plantings on your property, you can reduce the amount of stormwater runoff from your property and improve the water quality of our streams and lakes.
The program allows the city to offer a 50 percent reimbursement for rain barrels, rain gardens, native trees and native plantings. The maximum reimbursement is:
up to $1,000, for rain gardens, native plantings or riparian tree plantings,
up to $50 for native trees,
up to $75 for rain barrels.
Funding is available to applicants on a first come, first served basis. Applications will be considered in the order they are received.
For the program application and more information, visit www.opkansas.org/stf, or contact Ian Fannin-Hughes at [email protected] or 913-895-6172.
14