JACKSON, Wyo. — The annual Trout Friendly Landscaper Certification Workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 at Teton County Library’s Ordway Auditorium. The Trout Friendly Program is hosted by the Jackson Hole Clean Water Coalition, which invites landscaping professionals and interested individuals to learn more about how Trout Friendly practices can reduce nutrient pollution in our local waterways and create more resilient ecological landscapes. Landscaping professionals in Jackson Hole, Teton Valley and beyond are encouraged to join. The workshop is free and open to attend. 

Experts will present on pesticide application, beavers, ponds, native plants and more. The event will be followed by a lunch at noon, offering a chance to network with landscaping and water experts. 

The Jackson Hole Clean Water Coalition, a group of 10 local nonprofits and agencies working together to improve water quality, launched the Trout Friendly Lawns program in 2018 to help residents and businesses create and maintain quality lawns and gardens while also limiting impacts on water from fertilizer and pesticide runoff. Each year, local landscaping and lawn care companies become certified Trout Friendly by attending the annual certification event and performing Trout Friendly practices on lawns.

A 2016 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that residential landscaping is one of the major sources of nutrient pollution in the Fish Creek watershed. Nutrient pollution can cause algae blooms and have other harmful impacts on water quality. 

Community engagement is one of the best tools for minimizing non-point source water pollution.

“We love to see continued interest in the Trout Friendly Lawns Program. Trout Friendly practices not only benefit water quality, but also aquatic habitat, pollinators, native fish, wildlife, pets and humans,” said David Lee, Water Resources Specialist for Teton Conservation District. “Anyone can be a steward of their local waterways by following these simple practices – we hope you’ll join us to protect water quality.”  

Improve water quality by making these small changes to landscaping practices:

  1. Limit fertilization. Use slow-release or organic fertilizer only if needed, not to exceed two pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of a yard per year. Do not fertilize within 20 feet of water.
  2. Be water-wise. Sprinkle the lawn with water at dawn or dusk every other day and don’t water while it’s raining. Raise the mower blade height to three to four inches so that less water and fertilizer are needed.
  3. Plant natives and maintain streamside buffers. Maintain a five-foot buffer of unmanicured landscaping around water to act as a natural filter between lawns and water bodies.
  4. Use herbicides and pesticides appropriately. Only apply herbicide for state and county-listed noxious weeds, using spot spraying or mechanical removal techniques where appropriate. Contact Teton County Weed & Pest District for invasive species management information.

Please RSVP to Liz Collins, at lizc@tetonconservation.org or info@tetonconservation.org, to help us plan for lunches and seating arrangements. If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to reach out at the address above. 

Looking forward to another successful Trout Friendly year.