13abc.com: Toledo Breaking News, Weather and SportsLeaves can cause flooding and other problems

Leaves can cause flooding and other problems

     Fall color has reached its peak. Now, many of those leaves are coming down and could clog up storm sewers. Every municipality has its own procedures for collecting leaves. Some use the vacuum trucks or front end loaders and others want you to bag them. What you don't want to do is leave them in the gutter for long because they could cause big problems. Rain can wash them into storm sewers causing clogs and flooding. Cheryl Rice with the Natural Resources Conservation Service says,  "What ends up happening is not only does it build up in the storm sewer system and cause problems and potential flooding on your road the road next to yours, but it also takes all those nutrients from those leaves and they're getting dumped directly into the river system." Tons of leaves in the river bring excess nutrients into Lake Erie. Rice says, "In fact it's much greener than anyone has seen in about 20 years.  All those nutrients when they get put into a nice, warm water body, which the western basin of Lake Erie is, it's sort of a culture like making a soup that the algae just loves to eat off of." Those algae blooms harm wildlife, fishing and tourism.

     Toledo homeowner Ken Fallows is doing his part to prevent leaves and excess stormwater runoff.  Fallows says, "You look around at many of the houses here in the older neighborhoods and they've taken the downspouts out of the piping that goes into the storm sewer but then they let it rush down the driveway into the storm sewer and nothing gained." Fallows' downspouts channel runoff into the lawn and a rain garden.  Pervious pavement on the patio allows water to penetrate the ground.  And a rain barrel catches stormwater for future use.  He says, "Here I have 110 gallons of water after the rain, and it's amazing how fast they fill up, to water the gardens, fill the fish ponds in the back and water the potted plants I have around."

     Some municipalities ask you to rake leaves into the street for collection. After that's finished, make sure you remove any leftovers so they don't clog the storm sewers.

You'll find more information on how to start a rain garden at http://www.raingardeninitiative.org/ and where to buy a rain barrel at http://www.co.lucas.oh.us/index.aspx?nid=458