Rainy Day Water Trivia

One inch of rain on one acre of land yeilds 27,154 gallons of water!

This may sound like a lot of water but to put it into perspective, it takes

• 300 milllion gallons of water to produce a single day's supply of US newsprint
• 39,090 gallons to manufacture a new car
• 1,851 gallons to refine a barrel of crude oil
• 62,600 gallons to produce a ton of steel

A great way to conserve water is to capture rainfall.  Cisterns and rain barrels can recycle the rain into your landscape when dryer times are present.  For information on rain barrels including workshop information visit http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn_and_garden/fyn/rain-barrel.shtml

Recycle the Rain - Reduce Stormwater Runoff

One way to reduce stormwater runoff is to recycle the rain in a rain barrel.

Watch a video here to learn one method of setting up a collection system. You can get very creative with not only the decoration of your barrel but also the movement of the water. Some use pumps or elaporate plumbing to route the water where it is needed.

Rain Barrel workshops are offered monthly at the Manatee County Extension Office. To inquire or register for this series contact the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu

Another way to reduce stormwater runoff is to install a rain garden. A rain garden is a shallow, constructed depression that is planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses. It is designed to receive runoff from impervious, hard surfaces such as parking lots, roads and roofs, while also collecting rainwater from pervious surfaces like lawns. Rain gardens slow down the flow from these surfaces, hold the water for a short period of time, and allow it to naturally infiltrate into the soil. This infiltration reduces the amount of runoff, and the native plants, mulch and soil in a rain garden combine with natural physical, chemical and biological processes to filter out stormwater pollutants.

Porous surfaces should be used whenever possible for traffic areas such as driveways, walkways, and patios. Materials such as gravel, mulch and pervious concrete will allow rainwater to seep into the ground. A positive byproduct will be that the porous surfaces will act as a filter if any runoff is captured.

Recycling the Rain is a great way to conserve water. Have fun and go wild developing your own systems. Please share your photos and stories with me.

Consult the Manatee County UF/IFAS Extension office with questions at 941-722-4524 or email michelleatkinson@ufl.edu.

Introduction

The mission of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program is to educate Floridians about science-based, environmentally friendly landscaping practices and to encourage them to conserve and protect our water resources by applying Florida-Friendly Lanscaping™ Principles in their landscapes.

A Florida-friendly yard doesn’t merely offer a beautiful landscape — it also becomes an asset to the environment, protecting natural resources and preserving Florida’s unique beauty. Recognizing that the home landscape is part of a larger natural system will help in creating a Florida-friendly yard.

The University of Florida’s Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FYN) Program provides science-based education to the public on how to create a Florida-friendly yard. A properly maintained Florida-friendly yard can help homeowners conserve water and reduce pollution of water resources. The Florida-friendly approach to landscaping emphasizes nine interrelated principles.

We will explore each of the nine principles in upcoming posts. I am looking forward to helping you create a beautiful, Florida-friendly landscape!