Water Quality Improvement Program: Holmes Lake Watershed
The City of Lincoln has launched a pilot program to offer rain garden installation for 90% off the cost, free rain barrel installation, and free no/low phosphorus fertilizer. Funding for this program is provided by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.
To be eligible for this program, one must live in the Holmes Lake Watershed. Homeowners have applied for the installation of a free rain barrel or a rain garden for 90% off the cost. The program was introduced at the Holmes Lake Watershed Public Meeting at Lux Middle School on Tuesday June 26, 2007, where applications became available. The applications were reviewed and awarded on a first come, first serve basis. Installation of rain gardens and barrels began early Fall 2007.
As part of the Holmes Lake Pollution Reduction Project (9 K) 
, residents of the Holmes Lake Watershed have received a lawn care survey in the mail. Attached to the survey was a coupon for free no/low phosphorus fertilizer, as incentive to complete the survey. In the future, residents will receive follow-up surveys, to assess lawn care trends in the area.
The three segments of the Holmes Lake Water Quality Improvement Program are rain gardens, rain barrels, and the use of no/low phosphorus fertilizer. Promotion of these aspects is intended to increase awareness about the small changes in lawn care and landscaping practices that can make positive impacts on water quality.
A rain garden is a small garden located in a depression, where it can collect runoff water from your property. The garden is planted with native shrubs, perennials, and flowers. Rain gardens are water quality features, as they reduce the amount of runoff which leaves your property and flows down hill, collecting debris, chemicals, heavy metals, and soil particles. These pollutants enter streams and lakes untreated, resulting in fish kills, algae blooms, a decrease in drinkable water sources, unsafe conditions for fishing and swimming, and a decrease in aquatic life.
• More Information About Rain Gardens
• Photos of Rain Gardens in Holmes Lake Watershed
A rain barrel is any above ground container modified to receive, store, and distribute rooftop runoff for non-drinking uses. Rain barrels collect water from rainfall, reducing the amount of runoff and pollution from individual properties. Rain barrels also decrease the need for municipal water usage during the peak summer months. The EPA reports that 40% of water usage in the summer is on washing cars, watering lawn, and gardens, tasks which can be accomplished with water collected in a rain barrel.
• More Information About Rain Barrels
No/low phosphorus fertilizer is typically used on soils which already contain plenty of phosphorus, like those of Eastern Nebraska. When excessive and unnecessary amounts of fertilizer or pesticides are used, the extra nutrients are carried off the lawn by rainfall or irrigation. Water carrying these excess chemicals reaches waterways untreated, creating excess plant growth, fish kills, and algae blooms. In Holmes Lake, so much phosphorus is added to the lake every year, that a reduction of 97% is necessary to meet water quality standards. Promoting the use of no/low phosphorus fertilizer will reduce the amount of phosphorus added to the lake every year while keeping lawns green and healthy.
• More Information About No/Low Phosphorus Fertilizer
Lawn Care Survey
In August 2007, homeowners in the Holmes Lake Watershed recieved lawn care surveys in the mail. Homeowners could bring the completed survey to Campbells Nursery & Garden Center on 56th and Pine Lake Road to recieve 2 free bags of no phosphorus fertilizer. The goal of collecting survey results is to evaluate and better understand the common lawn care practices within the Holmes lake Watershed. Of the 5,700 surveys sent out, 485 were returned. The results of the returned surveys can be found below.
For More Information
For more information please contact Amanda Meder at 402 / 441-7075 or ameder@lincoln.ne.gov
