Will you spend $10 on your home to protect the Chesapeake Bay?

If a downspout from your gutter aims rain water from your roof down your driveway, you can make a simple change for significant improvement of the health of local waterways and the Bay! The water flowing from your driveway runs off into the street -- picking up automobile petroleum products and heavy metals, lawn fertilizers and chemicals, pet waste and trash -- then into the storm drain and unfiltered to your local waterway and to the Bay. The rain water flows downstream, eroding banks and adding sediment to runoff, destroying habitat and creating "dead zones" in the Bay. The amount of rainwater you retain on your property -- as nature intended -- is the measure of what you are doing at home to help waterways and the Bay.

You can solve the downspout problem by buying a flexible downspout extension for about $10 at the hardware store. Attach the extension to the end of the downspout and aim rainwater away from your driveway to trees, shrubs, flower beds, and rain gardens where rain water can soak into the ground and be filtered naturally.

For example, in Crofton, the downspout program "A Turn for the Better" will help reduce roof/driveway runoff for 57 % of the homes, as estimated by a recent survey. A small step with large results for a hour of work. County homeowners can take "A Turn for the Better" to clean up our waterways and the Bay! For more information on RainScaping techniques, visit: www.RainScaping.org.