Why should we care about stormwater runoff?
Rainwater nourishes plants and replenishes groundwater. After water seeps into the ground, it may: • Support plants, and cycle back into the air through plant transpiration. Evaporation of stored water also helps to cool the air in natural areas. • Continue to flow just beneath the surface to nearby streams or rivers. Sudden rainstorms in natural areas cause only a gradual change in the water level. • Sink through the aquifer into deeper groundwater Scientists have discovered that fertilizers and pesticides from residential areas are serious threats to the health of Florida’s waters. When stormwater runoff contains nitrogen from fertilizers, algae can become so abundant that sea grasses are smothered, oxygen is depleted and fish kills may result. In some freshwater environments, phosphorus is often the nutrient responsible for algae blooms. Toxic substances, such as common landscape and household pesticides, can damage reproduction in marine life. These pollutants in our groundwater ca
