Spring is here and, along with the warmer weather, we start to think about caring for our lawns. A recent survey estimates that nearly 90% of Chesapeake Bay residents have a lawn. Many of us, however, don't stop to think about the effect that lawn care products and practices can have beyond the boundaries of our yards. In this issue of the Envirocasttm - Weather and Watershed Newsletter, we look at the grass "crop" that exists in your own backyard and how you can keep your lawn green and healthy without making the Bay "green and sick."

• One hour of pushing a new, gas-powered lawn mower around your yard produces about the same amount of pollutant emissions as driving your car for 50-70 miles.
• About 90% of the total mass of grass plants is below ground in the roots. A single grass plant grown under ideal conditions has more than 300 miles of roots.
• Each square foot of lawn produces about 10 pounds of biomass a year, mostly in the root below ground. The same square foot of turf produces about one pound of grass clippings (dry weight) each year.
• According to industry estimates, there are more than 50 million acres of managed turf in the U.S. By comparison, the total watershed area of the Chesapeake Bay is just over 40 million acres.