Protection and Preservation Index >> What can you do?

What can you do?

In Your Yard

Wash your car on the lawn, not the driveway. This will allow excess water to soak into the ground instead of sending the dirt and pollutants down the street and into the storm drain -- the first stop on its way to your local creek.

In Your Neighborhood

Learn about your watershed. Go on a creek walk and find the boundaries of your watershed. Keep an eye on the activities in your watershed which affect water quantity. Report any questionable activities to your city or county environment.

Learn how land-use and development decisions affect your water resources. Attend public meetings and hearings discussing development in your watershed and make sure your water resource needs are being considered.

Make presentations about your watershed at local school or civic organization meetings. Take every opportunity to educate others about what a watershed is and why it is imperative that watershed residents work together to protect and preserve their waters and wildlife.

In Your Field or Farm

Use tensiometers instead of unnecessarily watering or overwatering your crops. Tensiometers measure the moisture in the soil, letting you know when you need water.

Implement drip irrigation. In irrigation drip, water is applied right to the root of the plants, instead of being misted above, significantly decreasing the rate of evaporation and allowing the plants to absorb more water.

Collect stormwater runoff in holding ponds and reuse it for irrigation. Capturing rainwater and using it to water crops will reduce runoff and lower your water consumption.

Use irigation timers. With irrigation timers, there is less a chance your will overwater your crops.

In Your Workplace

Use treated wastewater for watering. Many residual communities and community developments offer treated wastewater for irrigating the landscapes of common areas and individual lawns.

Report water losses Broken pipes, open hydrants, etc. Should be reported to the property owner, local authority or water managment district.

Support water awareness programs for tourists and visitors. Florida is one of the main tourist destinations in the country - it is important to ensure visitors remain mindful and sensitive to the state's water issues.