INTO THE VAULT: Fall Cleanup And Flood Control Go Together!
The Fall season is upon us. The football games, the Texas State Fair, the falling leaves, the Trick or Treating... these bring out the inner child in us all. But as we experience Fall and brace ourselves for another change of seasons, it is important to remember to change our living habits as well. Keep in mind that the things you do now can have an effect on flood control in Valley Ranch.
Let's go into the vault for three tips on fall yard clean-up!
Leaves, grass clippings and other yard waste are biodegradable, but…
If not handled properly , the items you cut and rake off of your yard can take months or even years to break down. If blown into the street or flushed down storm drains, these items can become a major source of blockage within our flood control system. Texas A&M Agri-Life recommends leaving grass clippings on your yard where they can readily break down into nutrients that fuel future grass growth. Alternatively, experts suggest mulching lawn clippings and leaves, then collecting and tilling them into gardens where they also can return nutrients to the soil. No matter what, bagging and disposing of lawn waste speeds the reduction of community landfill capacity, and that’s bad!
Even if these clippings and leaves pass through the storm sewer, they often end up as sludge at the bottom of Valley Ranch ponds, canals and other open-water conveyances, increasing the need for expensive dredging to maintain proper depths within these water ways.
Got a bigger landscaping clean-up project on your hands?
With finely cut grass and leaves being a concern to the flow of water through the Valley Ranch flood control system, imagine the impact of twigs, branches and limbs! Smaller tree, bush and shrub trimmings and waste also can clog waterways, pipes and other parts of the IFCD 3 system. No different than the work of beavers building dams, larger limbs can migrate to and block the inlets of storm sewers. When this situation is compounded by litter and even ice and snow in the winter months, storm water passing into flood control facilities is restricted.
Branches, limbs and other items resulting from outside maintenance can be put out for weekly City bulky trash pick-up. For more information on what can be put out and how to do so, refer to the City of Irving’s online brush and bulky waste information page.
“Contain” your boxes, bags and wrapping materials.
Nothing’s more exciting than unwrapping holiday presents, but where all the packaging goes is pretty important, too. If placed out for the City to pick-up on the next scheduled trash day, these items can easily get blown into waterways or storm drains ending up… you guessed it… in the flood control system. Same can be true of items set out for recycling that aren’t also properly secured.
First, consider what packaging and shipping items can be recycled and separate those from your regular refuse. The City of Irving has information on the hows, whens and whys of recycling. Most items that are not recyclable can be disposed of with other trash for city pickup – again, look to the web for information from the City on trash collection.
Whether trash or recyclable, be sure to place items in containers specified by the City that won’t be blown away if subjected to winds. If necessary, keep these collections in a garage, shed or other structure until the scheduled pick-up day to lessen the chance of items going astray.
Following these simple practices in preparing the outside of your home for spring can make all the difference in the world when winter rain, sleet and snow arrive. Watch for additional tips and other useful information related to water and flood control in future WaterWays, as well as the IFCD 3 website, and our Facebook and Twitter social media channels.