So much rain!

Does anyone else feel like we had a TON of rain this spring? You’d be right! In May alone, the Birmingham area experienced 20 days of rain which brough 11.29 inches of rainfall (average rainfall for the month of May is 4.29 inches). Cahaba River Society (CRS) has certainly felt the impacts. Spring is a busy time for us, with the CLEAN Environmental Education field season, Earth Week, the blooming of the Cahaba lilies, and our BioBlitz at Oak Mountain State Park. Unfortunately, with the rain, threat of storms, and the associated high-water levels in the river, we have had to cancel many of our CLEAN field trips and CRS events. And, the Cahaba lilies were a foot underwater during much of their blooming season. It is hard to enjoy these beautiful and special flowers when they are underwater. Not to mention, the high water makes paddling the stretch of river where the lilies are most prevalent too tricky for most novice paddlers. 

 

But there are larger, more wide-reaching impacts when we experience so much rain. 

 

Why is the rain important?

Rain is critical for many reasons, and we need that water for the survival of life on Earth. In natural areas, the rain falls on vegetation and is slowly soaked into the earth. In heavy rains, some of the water runs off into streams and rivers. As the rain is absorbed into the soil it is filtered and held there as groundwater, some of which makes its way to streams and rivers through the soil and even via springs. This is what allows streams to flow even in normal dry spells.  

 

How are humans changing things?

As we developed and continue to build cities and urban centers, build homes, roads, buildings, and utilities, humans change the way that water moves across the ground, how it soaks into the soil, and feeds our rivers and streams. When we build, we remove large amounts of vegetation and replace it with hard surfaces (like roofs, parking lots, driveways, roads, and sidewalks) that prevent the water from soaking into the soil. Instead, the water quickly runs off of these surfaces, and in doing so changes the way that rivers and streams function, often in damaging ways. This rush of water is easy to see in a heavy rain as water cascades off the side of roads, into storm drains, and out of gutter pipes. But what many don’t realize is that this water carries with it a ton of pollutants including sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, fluids from our vehicles, and litter.  

 

How can we help mitigate these changes?

There are things that we can and should do to help mitigate the impact that we are having. Our communities and residents should be embracing the use of the strategies associated with Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development. Communities can emphasize the use of things like infiltration basins, grain gardens, permeable pavement, and tree trenches and boxes. Really, any mechanisms to allow water to better infiltrate the soil near where it falls. Residents can also help immensely with small changes in how your neighborhoods and yards are designed and managed. This can include reducing impervious surfaces through the use of permeable options for patios, sidewalks, and driveways; by capturing and reusing rainwater from your roof via rain barrels and rain gardens; by planting more trees and native vegetation; minimizing your use of fertilizers and pesticides; and leaving your yard clippings in place, or composting them. Finally, if you live along the river, be sure to leave a vegetative buffer along the bank to help prevent erosion. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has some wonderful resources for HOAs and residents.

Tags: rain, runoff, spring, storms, water