LAWN CLIPPINGS DON’T BELONG IN STREETS OR STORM DRAINS 

Lafayette, LA – With summer in full swing, more people are mowing their lawns and throwing grass clippings into the street. Clippings blown down drains or left to sit in the street impedes stormwater flow, can harm aquatic life, and is a danger to motorcyclists. 

One lawn’s clippings in the street may seem harmless, but grass accumulates, clogs pipes and potentially localizes flooding. Additionally, dry clippings blow up into a motorcyclist’s face, and wet clippings are even more dangerous because they cause a slippery surface. 

Aquatic life can also be negatively impacted when grass flows down drains and into nearby waterways like the Vermilion River. Leaves and lawn clippings are a source of nitrogen and phosphorous, which are nutrients that cause algae to grow. This in turn deprives the waterway, fish and other aquatic life of oxygen. 

Ways you can help: 

• Blow clippings into yard, away from road
• Use a mulching lawnmower
• Leave clippings in the yard as fertilizer
• Use as compost