City of Fort Madison issued the following announcement on Jun. 1.
With warmer weather and all the rain we have received, many of us are mowing our yards more often. It might seem like a great solution to simply blow the clippings into the street. Before you do that, consider either composting or leaving them to naturally break down in your yard (this is like free fertilizer!). In fact, the best way to dispose of the clippings is to use mulching blades on the mower. They have a special shape that shreds the grass after cutting and deposits it on the lawn.
It is illegal to leave grass clippings on the roadway because it is dangerous and it can cause drainage/sewage problems. It also degrades the appearance of our neighborhoods.
Grass clippings, leaves, and other debris have a tendency to “clump” in storm drains and in the sewers. As it builds up, this can cause the drains to back up since they’re not performing at their peak. This, in turn, can cause flooding or drainage issues in the street and our neighborhoods, and that’s something we all want to avoid!
Freshly cut grass is slippery and can cause a motorcyclist or bicyclist to lose traction and crash. Engineers have calculated that the coefficient of friction of fresh grass clippings is almost as slick as grease.
Please help your neighbors and the whole city by not blowing grass or debris into the street!
Original source can be found here.
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