Clean Water Starts With Me!
Get involved in keeping our desert washes healthy
by Mead Mier
Image courtesy of www.pagnet.org.
During the monsoon season many desert dwellers enjoy watching the river beds fill. Do you ever wonder what happens to that stormwater? Historically, our desert waters supported agrarian cultures and renowned wildlife diversity. But over time, urbanization changed how our watershed functions. Now water flows more quickly out of our watershed and carries urban pollutants to desert washes where they accumulate in our fragile wildlife corridors.
When accumulated in runoff, small dispersed sources of pollutants are some of the leading causes of stormwater contamination. Just one quart of motor oil, for example, can contaminate 250,000 gallons of stormwater. Action to prevent such pollution is easier than the steps it takes to purify it later.
Keeping pollutants such as household chemicals and litter off of our streets prevents them from entering storm drains and then washes. Pima Association of Governments’ Clean Water Starts With Me outreach campaign is teaming up with partner programs this year to help get the word out about reducing our impact on stormwater quality.
Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients can be properly disposed of through the Tucson/Pima County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program, which allows the materials to be recycled instead of creating a toxic impact. HHW recently started monthly mobile collection events in the community on the 2nd Saturday of the month in addition to the regular HHW collection sites.
Litter is another common source of pollution. City programs, like Tucson Clean and Beautiful, and Adopt-a-Wash programs offer a great way for community groups to get involved.
Stewardship efforts and awareness of our desert waters helps us nurture our washes and green our neighborhoods. By harvesting stormwater in our landscape to grow desert plant life, we mimic how stormwater flows in a natural environment. Tread lightly along your neighborhood wash and at your favorite water sites. While visiting these rare and valuable locations, pick up unsightly trash and you will make a difference. The health of the region’s birds and other wildlife rests on the health of our waterways.
A few other ways to help: Scoop dog poop, harvest rainwater and fix leaky vehicles; limit use of yard chemicals and report illegal dumping. Clean stormwater means clean, healthy washes!
To learn more about your local watershed and tips you can use in your daily life to help prevent stormwater pollution, visit www.PAGstorm.com.
Mead Mier is Senior Watershed Planner with Pima Association of Governments’ Sustainable Environment Program.
