When leaves, grass clippings and other yard debris are blown onto streets, sidewalks and into storm drains, it eventually will make its way to our lakes. These materials add excess nutrients to the lake and cause water quality issues. Take care of your lakes by taking care of your yard debris.

• Never blow leaves or grass clippings from your yard into streets, sidewalks or storm drains.
• Street sweeping services are designed to handle natural leaf fall on public streets only. When leaves from the yard are blown into the streets, it disrupts this process.
• Streets, sidewalks and driveways must be kept clear of all yard waste to prevent this debris from entering a curb inlet or storm drain. Assume that if your yard waste is on a paved surface, it has access to a storm drain!
• When yard waste makes it through a storm drain and into a lake, it:
  • adds excess nutrients to the water, causing potentially-toxic algae blooms
  • reduces and degrades fish and wildlife habitats
  • decreases water recreation opportunities by degrading water quality

What you can do:

• Bag and dispose properly in yard waste pick-up
• Compost the leaves
• Mulch the leaves