8 Things You Can Do to Keep the Kinnickinnic River Healthy

1. Don't Litter! Keep trash out of the river and teach your friends and family to do the same. On very windy days, make sure your garbage can's lid is secure. Pick up trash you see when walking or biking - especially plastic, Styrofoam and plastic bags, which never fully break down!
2. Pick Up Your Pet's Waste. Pet waste carries bacteria like E. coli, which can cause harmful germs to grow and affect human and animal health. Plus, it's just good neighborly practice!
3. Fix Your Car's Leaks. Car fluids like oil and antifreeze pollute our waters when it rains. If you know you can't fix that leak soon, put down a bucket or mat that will soak up those harmful pollutants coming from your vehicle. Dispose of the waste properly (likely at the city dump)!
4. Don't Feed the Geese! Goose droppings contain a lot of phosphorous and nitrogen, which can cause harmful algae to grow and create a stinky, dangerous mess.
5. Leave the Leaves. Leaves release phosphorous, too, which can lower oxygen levels in water. Mow over leaves and let them sit on your lawn - they'll break down faster and provide valuable nutrients to your grass!
6. Shovel Early and Shovel Often to prevent ice formation altogether, reducing the need for salt application.
7. Use Salt Sparingly! Use only a coffee mug-full to cover 20 feet of driveway or 10 sidewalk squares. To avoid salt and other harmful chemicals, you can use sawdust or sand (also sparingly!) instead. Watch this video to understand why this benefits our rivers and lakes.
8. Reuse salt. Sweep up excess salt and save money, too! What you don't sweep up will just end up in the river, increasing chloride to dangerous levels and causing fish to die.