Fall is an important time to keep leaves out of the gutter so they don’t get into the storm drain when it rains. In the storm drain, leaves get carried to the Creek and eventually to Lake Hiawatha, adding the phosphorus that causes algae blooms. Don’t wait for the city to sweep the street, as leaves will be rushing down the drain with each rainfall!

If you haven’t already, consider the county’s Adopt-a-Drain program, signing up to keep one or more storm drains on your street clear so that only water goes into it. You can adopt any drain that hasn’t already been adopted, even if it isn’t in front of your house! This interactive website helps you locate drains near you and adopt any that you choose: https://www.adopt-a-drain.org/

If you need assistance adopting a drain OR if you would like a friendly neighborhood volunteer to assist you the first time you set out to clean your storm drain, please contact the ANA at anacoordinator@armatage.org. The ANA’s Green Team will also provide the next twenty people who sign up to Adopt-a-Drain with a free pair of gloves to wear when cleaning your drain. Email us to pick yours up!  Huge thanks to ANA Green Team member Linda Ridlehuber for this article!