Working together to protect and restore the Harpeth River Watershed and provide expertise in statewide conservation policy

 
 

--My Backyard
--My Farm

--Rain Barrels
--Rain Gardens
--RiverSmart Tips

--Gardening Tips (RiverSmart)
--Backyard Conservation
--Wildlife Habitat
--Backyard Wetland
--Water Conservation
--Composting
--Nutrient Management
--Tree Planting
--Mulching
--Pest Management
--Terracing

--EPA Dos and Don'ts

--Impervious Cover
--Nonpoint Source Pollutants
--Important List of Links

--What is a Watershed?

--Stormwater Basics

Be RiverSmart

 

Download the RiverSmart Tips Flyer

River Network’s national RiverSmart campaign has come to the Harpeth. You can be part of the solution and help the Harpeth every day:

Plant trees and shrubs along your creek bank. Native vegetation provides wildlife habitat and protects the creek from heat, fertilizer runoff, and erosion. Try to create a buffer of native vegetation a minimum of 10-feet wide from the creek edge.

Water your lawn in the morning or evening instead of midday. During the heat, significant amounts of water are lost to evaporation.

Minimize fertilizer on your lawn and don’t use it near creeks. Excess fertilizer will wash into the creek and cause algae problems.

Install a rainbarrel (cistern) to catch the rain off your roof and water your lawn.

 

Take a walk in the rain to see where your rainwater is going. Look for ways to encourage rain to soak in on your property.

Repair leaky faucets and save water by installing low-flow shower heads and toilets.

Fix any car leaks. Drips on pavement wash into creeks when it rains.

Keep your septic tank well maintained.

Don’t put toxics in the trash, down the drain, or down the stormdrain. Dispose of chemicals, batteries, used oil, and paints at designated sites. To locate sites, contact your county or call TDEC (1-800-287-9013) for Used Oil Drop Off sites.

RiverSmart is a national public education campaign designed to show people how simple changes in their everyday activities [like not littering: www.stoplitter.org] can help our nation's rivers. The goal of RiverSmart is to make lasting changes to improve our rivers and drinking water supply.

So many of us love our rivers and have deep connections with the beauty, wildlife, and recreational opportunities they offer. Water is essential to life, and our future depends on healthy rivers.

If each of us makes a few simple changes in our daily routine, we can help prevent pollution and the depletion of our rivers and streams. Because little things do add up. By taking the RiverSmart pledge, you can save thousands of gallons per year and greatly reduce runoff pollution from your home.

RiverSmart is a project of River Network, the nation's leader in supporting over 4,000 local river and watershed groups nationwide who are working to save their home rivers and waters. The Harpeth River Watershed Association is a River Network Partner group.

The Presenting Sponsor of RiverSmart is Swiss Re, a leading global reinsurance company and committed supporter of water-quality and sustainability initiatives worldwide. To contribute to the international dialogue on water, Swiss Re has authored The Water Factor, with reports on Water Quality and Water Availability.
Harpeth River Watershed Association, P.O. Box 1127, Franklin, TN 37065, 615-790-9767, www.harpethriver.org