DNR officials say ...

by Steve Vert

SBJ Contributing Writer

Soon, as the old saying goes, April showers will bring May flowers. But as precipitation falls on area construction sites, it could have a very different effect erosion.

According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, erosion can pose a threat to water quality.

Studies show construction site runoff can hold 20 times as much sediment as stormwater exiting other surfaces. And with that runoff often comes major pollutants such as petroleum products and pesticides.

Here in the Ozarks, DNR officials said, the combination of sediment and pollution equals trouble for the economy and local waterways