SOLitude Lake Management’s Post

OUR UPLANDS First of all, I should make it VERY clear that I am NOT opposed to field sports, and that I DO understand the need for some heather-burning (or mowing in the limited areas where this is feasible). And I don't believe in immediate bans or significantly increasing the load of bureaucracy on landowners and managers. BUT I DO think that this sort of intensive burning should be phased out in time. 1 While the resulting heather may look good, such regular burning does reduce the number of species growing, for instance killing off juniper which could be a valuable component of a much more diverse moorland. 2 Such regular burning often chars the underlying peat, increasing the risk of erosion, and leaking carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. 3 My greatest concern is that such reduced vegetation will not retain water; this is a particular problem on slopes running down to any burn or river. Given the ever-increasing rainfall we are experiencing, the increased run-off pours silt into the water-courses, impacts the spawning-beds, and increases flooding downstream. I entirely accept that it will take time for landowners to develop alternative models of grouse-moor management, but, given that, increasingly, people are looking to enhance whole-catchments, I don't see that such moors can continue to be managed in isolation. And I cannot see that this intense burning is sustainable into the future.........

Let's talk about another great Post Construction BMP: Bioswales! Bioswales are designed to maximize the time from when stormwater runoff leaves the parking lot, roadway or sidewalk to when it filters into the ground or flows into a waterway. The more time, the more opportunity for debris and pollutants to filter out of the water. Designed with drought-tolerant, native habitat vegetation, bioswales remove stormwater pollutants by filtration, sedimentation, and sorption. Bioswales require help to maintain their efficiency: -Remove trash and debris -Identify and remove weeds -Check plants for signs of disease & address -Remove sediment and other restrictions Over time, it may be necessary to grade the bottom of the bioswale to remove accumulated silt and replace plantings. If you have a bioswale on your business, school, apartment or church property that needs it's yearly inspection, contact Thunder Mountain Enterprises, Inc. and we can get you into our spring inspection schedule! #bioswales #swales #greenspaces #environmentalscience #environment #pcbmps #tme #bmps #stormwater #stormwatermanagement #watermanagement #rainseason #sedimentcontrol #pcbmpinspections

“After years of “stream restoration” projects conceived with great fanfare, the creek has become ground zero for the debate over reconstructing streams with rocks and new plantings to slow their flow and to filter out sediment and nutrients prior to emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. ‘These restorations are disturbing natural areas’ without having measurable success preventing pollution-laden water from gushing downstream, said Wolf. Similar projects are being used by Baltimore and other jurisdictions to comply with state stormwater runoff regulations, but some environmental advocates are questioning their effectiveness and decrying their destruction of stream-side forests.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gfWvZqsW #stormwater #trashcapture #bmphood #civilengineering #bestmanagementproducts

NY Times has a series re water resources. This one describes an existing 40 year old pay for water system, that has encouraged conservation equipment as well. With increasing droughts and floods/rain, helps to be educated on how to conserve, capture/ channel and use water. Strawberry Case Study: What if Farmers Had to Pay for Water? (oops, couldn't get link to share.. search for Pajaros Valley, California... berry growers).

To support ongoing efforts to improve conditions for the imperiled Clear Lake hitch, a native fish found only in Clear Lake watershed and its tributaries, the State Water Resources Control Board have adopted emergency regulations that allow staff to collect information from water users to evaluate how pumping affects creek flows that are critical for the species’ habitat. Millions of hitch, also known as “chi” to local tribes, once thrived in the watershed, but poor water quality, invasive species, passage barriers and inadequate flows have contributed to long-term declines of the population, with the numbers plummeting over the last decade. Insufficient creek flows from February through June can prevent access to spawning habitat or strand and kill the fish before they migrate back to Clear Lake or before eggs can hatch, creating a primary threat to the species’ survival.

The science behind controlled burns is well-established, and both federal and state governments agree. Where smaller, controlled fires are set to reduce fuel loads, larger conflagrations are less common. Yet expansion of this forest management practice has been limited by a lack of qualified professional capable of safely managing these “good fires.” Much of this stems from the risk of fires escaping containment. Several states have responded by developing programs to train and certify “burn managers” on the safe use of prescribed fire. The goal is to build both technical capacity and community trust. #controlledburns https://ow.ly/qfrv50Qy4nR

Usually one can see the industrial canal clear as day but due to #marshfires downriver in St. Bernard Parish, the visibility has reduced to less than 2-3 miles for an incredibly flat landscape. Living in Southern Louisiana for the past two years has meant bearing witness to an increase in once rare tornado patterns, a decrease in overall rainfall resulting in a potentially catastrophic saltwater wedge impacting major infrastructure, record breaking temperatures, and now marsh fires due to a lack of precipitation. It is nothing less of concerning but a stark reminder of the work at hand that remains to be done across society to educate and engage these topics for tangible and lasting change. There are so many amazing advocacy groups and organizations doing this work that I recommend you reach out and get involved with if you feel the growing sense of urgency like so many do! Some organizations to check out: Deep South Center for Environmental Justice The Urban Conservancy Restore the Mississippi River Delta (5 organizations under one coalition) Taproot Earth Save Our Urban Landscape (S.O.U.L.) The Water Collaborative GreenLight New Orleans R.I.S.E. St. James Southeastern Wetlands Discovery Center Sunrise Movement Louisiana Bucket Brigade NOLA Ready Alliance for Affordable Energy The list goes on! Knowledge and action is power. #sustainability #wildfires #louisiana #gulfsouth #sustainabldevelopment #climatechange #climateaction #civicengagement #greentech #greenrevolution

#LandscapingCompanies: Experiencing unexplained soil movement or plant damage? #Pests might be meddling underground! Addressing these early in your #landscaping project can help in maintaining the perfect landscape. #LandscapingTips #PestControlTips

Vegetation management needs to be a priority and regulations changed to enable better maintenance near and around transmission and distribution lines. Reading that vegetation control has been constrained by environmental groups makes no sense and puts society and people at risk. Proper vegetation management can balance both the needs of the environment and that of communities.