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ELCOME TO YOUR
ATERSHED
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is your connection to clean water, fresh air and healthy food. Learn to care for it, so it can care for you.
On the Farm:
1. Build Terraces
Farmers can reduce soil erosion on hilly cropland by constructing terraces or ridges across the hillside. Terraces break long slopes into shorter ones. As water makes its way down the hill, terraces act like small dams to intercept and slow down the flow of rainwater runoff and increase soil infiltration.
4. Fence Livestock
Livestock fencing protects shorelines from erosion caused by animal traffic. Fencing prevents livestock from trampling banks, destroying vegetation, and causing sediment to enter the stream. Farmers can provide additional water quality benefits by planting a streamside buffer of grass, shrubs, or trees to intercept and filter runoff, absorb excess nutrients, and provide valuable shade and habitat for aquatic life.
In the Community:
11. Pick Up After Your Pet
Be a good neighbor and a responsible pet owner. Pick up after your dog or cat to prevent pet feces from washing into nearby waterways or hitching a ride on a childs soccer shoe.
www.mda.state.md.us/mdacon/index.htm
At Your School:
18. Report Schoolyard Erosion Problems
Each year, millions of tons of soil wash into our streams and rivers every time it rains. Soil clouds the water, disrupts stream habitats, and transports oil, fertilizers, and pesticides from the land into our waterways. Encourage your school to seed or mulch bare areas on recreation fields or lawns to help control runoff, minimize soil erosion, and safeguard water quality.