6 Ways to Protect Your Local Watershed

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Fresh water is arguably humans’ most precious resource. It is vital for our life and that of the natural world around us. In spite of its vitality, fresh water makes up less than 1% of the global water supply. Therefore, it is imperative that we make every possible effort to conserve and protect the freshwater resources in our communities. Listed here are six easy ways that corporations can help protect the freshwater resources in their local watershed.

    1. Garden Smartly
      Creating green spaces on your property is a great way to accommodate local wildlife, but if created incorrectly they can also pose a risk to your local water supply. Fortunately, this is easy to prevent. To begin gardening smartly, you should opt for using native plants, which do not require as much water or fertilizer as non-native plants. When fertilizer is necessary to maintain your garden, avoid using pesticides or chemical fertilizers, as they can contaminate local ground and surface water supplies. Instead, consider alternative strategies such as amending the soil with nutrient-rich compost. Additionally, consider using a layer of mulch around your plants so that they retain moisture for a longer period of time.
    2. Be Mindful
      Be mindful of unique ways that your corporation can conserve water as part of its daily operations. For example, hotels have made an effort to conserve water by offering guests the option to reuse their towels to avoid washing them daily. Similarly, some restaurants have begun asking customers if they would like water rather than automatically providing it.
    3. Reduce Impermeable Pavement
      Impermeable  pavement can be very problematic for local watersheds, particularly in areas with large amounts of pavement. As an impermeable surface, it forces rain water and melting snow to run-off across its surface and down storm drains, rather than being naturally absorbed into the ground. When runoff occurs, ground water supplies fail to be replenished, the risk of flooding increases, and the soil is unable to act as a natural filter for pollutants found in precipitation . Therefore, when constructing pathways on your property use alternatives to pavement whenever possible. When paving an area is necessary use porous pavement to mitigate the negative consequences of asphalt.
    4. Modernize Plumbing
      Each year, trillions of gallons of water are lost to leaky pipes. To prevent this costly waste of water, invest in updating your plumbing systems. In addition to patching leaks, consider modernizing appliances by upgrading to those that use less water. For example, you can save high volumes of water each year by replacing toilets installed before 1992 with new low-flow models. Also, think about switching to drip irrigation to water your gardens.  Drip irrigation reduces water usage by applying water directly to the root zone of plants, eliminating runoff and evaporation that occur with traditional sprinkler systems.
    5. Enhance Riparian Habitat
      If your property is located on a river, stream, or lake, consider constructing riparian zones.  Riparian zones are a natural vegetated buffer between land and a body of water.  They protect the water source they border by reducing erosion, providing flood control, and filtering sediment and pollutants from stormwater before it enters the water body. Additionally, riparian zones provide valuable habitat for wildlife.
    6. Teach!
      Make an effort to teach your employees and community members how they can conserve water at home. Doing so will help make water conservation a community effort. In addition to many of the water-saving tips above, some ways that water can be saved at home include reducing shower times or using low-flow shower heads, using grey water when possible such as when watering plants, and only running the laundry machine and dishwasher when full.

Conservation of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore by Restoring Habitat at Praxair Burns Harbor

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On April 22, 2016, Praxair Burns Harbor Industrial Gases hosted 20 volunteers from ArcelorMittal and a variety of other companies and conservation organizations to tackle the removal of invasive species from a small, wet pin oak woodland and sedge meadow located on the Praxair Burns Harbor Plant property. Volunteers came from the Wildlife Habitat Council, the Gary Conservation Team, the U.S. Forest Service, and members of the Indiana Coastal Cooperative Weed Management Group (including Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Coffee Creek Watershed Conservancy, and Shirley Heinze Land Trust).

WHC is the recipient of an Indiana Coastal Management grant from the Indiana DNR Coastal Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop early detection and control of invasive species projects on coastal industrial facilities. This grant has allowed us to reach out to several companies in the Lake Michigan coastal region of Northwest Indiana and develop on-the-ground programs that engage employees in the control of invasive species and expand their participation in conservation programs organized by members of the Indiana Coastal Cooperative Weed Management Group. Companies participating in this ongoing collaborative effort include ExxonMobil’s Hammond Terminal, ArcelorMittal’s Burns Harbor, ArcelorMittal’s Global R&D, and Praxair’s Lakeshore Plant.

During the April 22 cooperative workday, volunteers focused on removing two non-native, invasive species that are common invaders of Midwestern forests and oak savannas: honeysuckle and oriental bittersweet. The volunteers used a technique known as the “cut-stump method,” in which the shrubs are cut down and herbicide applied directly to the stump to prevent regrowth. Also on the agenda was to review with Praxair a site conservation plan that includes management of the pin oak wetland and the open spaces outside operations, as well as the creation of native and pollinator-friendly landscapes on the large berms created during the facility’s construction in the 1970s.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

The group also shared their common knowledge and experience of working on site and in proximity to lands owned and managed by the National Park Service’s Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Indiana Dunes is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the National Park Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary. (Happy Centennial to the National Park Service!) By managing private conservation lands around the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, companies like Praxair are making a direct contribution to the biodiversity of the coastal region and the ecological health of public lands.

Multi-partner workdays like those at Praxair’s Burns Harbor demonstrate the power of collaboration in habitat conservation. When companies, agencies, and conservation organizations work together to restore native habitats, it helps everyone enhance the conservation value of their communities.

If your company would like to participate in our cooperative efforts in Northwest Indiana, we would be proud to have you participate! Please send us an email at dgoldfarb@wildlifehc.org to learn how your company can contribute to conservation efforts in this region.