We’re doing everything we can to conserve water here in the Bay Area, and we’ve done a darn good job. But as we strive to make our landscapes more sustainable, we begin to notice there is something glaringly out of place – our driveways.
We’re planting native and drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, and perennials, and we’re feeling pretty smug about that. Our yards are as pretty (or prettier) than ever, and we are now visited by even more wonderful birds, butterflies, and bees. We’ve traded in our water-guzzling lawns for artificial grass, and we’re feeling pretty smug about that as well. We’re conserving water, saving big bucks on our water bill, and saving endless amounts of time we used to spend slaving over our lawn.
But then there’s our driveway. No, it doesn’t use water, but it sure does waste it. That great, big, impervious slab of concrete causes evil runoff instead of allowing vital moisture to soak into the soil and replenish our parched aquifers. Runoff carries all manner of dirt and pollutants down the street and into our storm drains, streams, and the Bay itself.