The quality of the water found in our lakes, rivers, streams and other waterways is a reflection of how we take care of the land that surrounds those waterways.  To help educate and train landowners, gardeners, landscapers, landscape designers, grounds-keepers and others on how they can help protect and restore water quality by being good stewards of that surrounding land, the CWC began a Healthy Landscapes for Healthy Waters program back in 2007.

CWC’s Healthy Landscapes for Healthy Waters program is a series of workshops and lectures aimed at those who are interested in establishing healthy and beautiful lawns and landscapes, while at the same time helping to improve the area’s natural watershed storage and filtration functions.  Topics presented and discussed at these workshops and lectures have included:

• Lawn care practices and techniques
• The use and benefits of native plants¹
• The impacts of invasive/exotic plants²
• Streamside and lakeshore buffer strips
• Shoreline management
• Shoreline landscape and plantings designs
• Erosion control issues and reduction solutions
• Storm water runoff issues and reduction solutions
• The impacts and benefits of limiting or eliminating the use of pesticides, fertilizers and phosphorus-based products

Many of these workshops have also included hands-on demonstration projects.  Our Healthy Landscapes for Healthy Waters workshops and lectures for 2012 will be posted on our Events page.

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¹A list of native plant species recommended for the Chautauqua region can be found here.

²A list of common problem invasive/exotic plants found in Chautauqua County can be found here.