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Category: Garden & Pesticides

UPDATED September 9, 2021

The ongoing drought conditions throughout California have impacted San Mateo County, which is included in the declared State of Emergency. In July, Governor Newsom issued an executive order that requests all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15% compared to 2020 levels. There are currently no mandatory water use restrictions or drought surcharges in effect.

Water shortages and drought are not new in the western United States. When we experience water shortages, basic aspects of our everyday lives can change dramatically. What are some of the immediate effects when it comes to water management and landscaping, in particular? Extreme drought requires more intensive watering just to keep your garden or other landscaping alive, which of course only worsens the problem. Ponds and creeks can dry up, reducing the natural source of water to surrounding soils. Fire season becomes a major concern for environmental and air quality. The drier and more severe the drought, the more severe the impacts become. 

San Mateo County joins many other areas in California experiencing an “Extreme Drought” as indicated on the map below from the United States Drought Monitor. These numbers reflecting our current water levels are concerning scientists and community planners alike. An “Extreme Drought” at this time of the year, however, can foreshadow a more extreme drought later in the summer months. Things can snowball—or rather, tumbleweed—quickly. With this in mind, what can we do to ensure we don’t run out of water this summer?

We use water in so many different ways every day, which includes washing dishes, brushing our teeth, cooking, cleaning, and watering our garden. Given the current projections for continued dry weather this year, we thought we’d share a list of some tips and tricks you can implement in and outside your home to start lowering your water usage today.

Outdoor Water Conservation Tips & Tricks

  • Rain Capture – Using rain barrels or cisterns is an excellent way to save water and money! Rather than irrigating your lawn or garden with potable water, rain barrels allow you to actually harvest and employ the rain. The larger your rain capture system, the more water you’ll have available to use during drier months! Check out San Mateo County’s rain barrel rebate program to learn how you can receive up to $200 by owning one of your very own. 
  • Mulching – If you haven’t added mulch to your yard, we recommend doing it now. This action reduces water loss, keeps nutrients in the soil, and—bonus points!—prevents weeds from taking over. Click here for tips on applying mulch.
  • Native Plants – Rather than non-native plants that often need more water to thrive, native plants are already accustomed to your local climate and can often tolerate droughts, which are characteristic of many areas in California.
  • Irrigation – If you’re still hand-watering or turning on sprinklers, you might want to switch to drip irrigation to reduce your water use. You can even install a smart sprinkler controller, which will adjust how much water and when to water based on weather conditions, the type of soil you have, and the amount of shade your plants receive.
  • Lawn Replacement – Your lawn is one of the most water-intensive plant features in your yard and requires year-round maintenance. Consider replacing your grass with drought-tolerant landscaping, you’ll have all the green you want without the hassle. You may also be eligible to receive a rebate for your lawn replacement. Take your lawn replacement project to the next level by adding a rain garden and receiving an additional $300 back on eligible projects!

Indoor Water Conservation Tips & Tricks

  • Toilets – Toilet flushing is the largest indoor use of water in single-family homes (followed by faucets, showers, clothes washers, and leaks). Switch to a low-flush toilet and you could reduce your water usage by 40-50%.
  • Leaks – On average, 13% of residential water use is from leaks! Make sure to address any leaks in pipes or drips in faucets, and always be sure to turn your tap off and make sure it is tight when you are not using it to prevent dripping. Also, avoid keeping the water running when brushing your teeth or washing dishes. These simple actions could save you real money in the long run.
  • Washing Machines – Always try for full loads when washing dishes or clothes to get the most out of your water usage. Relatedly, we recommend selecting the “suds-saver” or other efficiency options on your appliances if equipped. 
  • Water Warm Up – Use a bucket in the shower to capture cold water as you wait for the temperature to warm up and use it for irrigation or other water needs.

Remember that all of these tips and tricks not only lower your water usage, but they save you money on your water bill. So, always keep your water usage in mind and do what you can for the environment and your community! Also, look for rebates on efficiency gadgets from your water supplier. Do you have any tips and tricks you would like to share with us? Fill out the form below and submit your ideas today!

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Not all learning has to be done in a classroom and we can always learn new things at any age in our life! This is why we’ve curated a list of educational online resources for learners of all ages. In true Flows to Bay fashion, these resources involve the many various topics under the umbrella of stormwater pollution prevention. Check it out below and contact us if there’s any that we’ve left out of the list!

All about Water: Waterways, Water Systems, and Water Resources

Aquatic Life and Ecosystems

seal with its head above the ocean water

Watersheds

Connecting Runoff and Pollution

aerial photo of a city with many houses, streets, and water around it

Effects of Litter and Preventing it from Entering our Waterways

Lawn & Garden / Pest Management

Ladybug on green leaf defocused background
  • Grassroots Ecology has a lesson called “Bugs in Our Ecosystems,” which helps students learn about the critical roles of bugs in our local ecosystems by playing different fact-matching games and searching for their own bug close to home.
  • Our Water Our World has an “Ask Our Expert” resource that connects you with an expert from the Bio-Integral Resource Center, which specializes in the development and communication of least-toxic, sustainable, and environmentally sound IPM methods.
  • Pest or Pal? Activity Book has various activities including a crossword puzzle, word scramble, fun facts, bug jokes, and more that involve the topic of helpful and harmful bugs. 
  • The Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program has a helpful and easy to follow chart for you to learn what natural enemy to introduce to help specific pest problems. 

Proper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste

  • Hazardous Waste Sudoku helps with understanding what is considered hazardous waste by completing a sudoku with a correlated symbol. 
  • Oil Recycling Center Maze engages students in an interactive way to learn that used motor oil needs to go to a recycling center.

Do you want to share an educational resource about stormwater pollution prevention? Contact us here!

It’s a new year and a time for change! In need of a resolution? Flows to Bay has you covered! This year, we encourage you to consider using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices for your pest control needs. 

What is IPM? 

It’s an approach to gardening and pest control issues that offers a natural and effective alternative to conventional methods that often don’t work as well as you might hope, or come with unwanted environmental consequences.

Though seemingly convenient, pesticides are generally only a band-aid solution to your gardening ails, and they can even sometimes encourage more pest problems because the underlying causes of infestation remain unaddressed. The IPM process understands this and looks to do away with the immediate and heavy application of pesticides when pests pop up. Instead, IPM focuses on a variety of methods that when taken together deal more effectively with pest problems at their source. 

Looking at a pest problem through this lens means that you’ll: 

  1. Look at environmental factors that affect the pest and its ability to thrive. 
  2. Create conditions that are unfavorable for the pest.
  3. Reap the benefits of a mostly pest-free, resilient, and more thriving garden ecosystem. 

To learn more about what IPM really looks like in practice in San Mateo County, we reached out to pest control operators in our county over the past year and learned some lessons from one expert in the field – Hendrick Wong. Impressed by his passion and background in IPM, we invited him to share his insights. 

Who is Hendrick Wong?

Hendrick is a Board Certified Entomologist and pest management professional. He has a degree in IPM from UC Berkeley and has been working in the pest control industry for over 30 years. He cites his background in IPM as having given him the unique ability to “understand the biology of the pest,” which is an important aspect of what makes his IPM approach work so effectively. 

Hendrick’s commitment to IPM practices is driven primarily by his love for the environment and his desire to decrease the presence of pesticides in the food chains of our local ecosystems. When pesticides are applied to plants, they enter the bodies of organisms that eat plants and then travel into the bodies of animals that eat those organisms. Through this process, persistent chemicals can build up in the bodies of animals across a food chain. As Hendrick stated, “pesticide usage should be the last option, not the first.”

Want to use pesticides more effectively? Hendrick shared the most common advice he gives to people with persistent pest problems:

  • Recommends removing ground cover (leaves and debris) to discourage ants.
  • Discourages homeowners from “requesting regular monthly perimeter treatment for insects” because it is unnecessary and leads to an “overuse of pesticides.”
  • Educates “restaurant owners to exercise better sanitation.”
  • Instructs homeowners to “trim back excessive vegetation” that’s below their home’s roofline and not on their property.
  • Encourages homeowners to release ladybird beetles and lacewings into their gardens for biological control.

Why does Flows To Bay support IPM practices? Individual actions DO make a difference, and the decisions we make at home are connected to the broader health of the County! When pesticides are applied haphazardly or in excess they become a water quality concern. Any chemicals and debris that accumulate on our lawns, sideways, roads, and driveways are at risk of being carried into storm drains by rain or overwatering, and from there it is a quick and unfiltered trip to local waterways, the Bay and ocean. 

Do you want to learn more about IPM or find an IPM pest control operator in your area? Check out more information on this webpage! Another useful local resource is ReScape California – who’s 8 principles for maintaining a regenerative landscape draw on many of the core aspects of Integrated Pest Management.

Here at Flows To Bay, we love meeting incredible San Mateo County residents who are making a difference in their communities.

This month, we’re excited to introduce Erica Richter, a 34-year resident of our beautiful county. Erica has been a member of the UC Master Gardener Program for the past 9 years and is an expert in eco-friendly gardening and pest control practices. Erica shares her experience and passion for sustainable gardening with local hardware stores throughout the County in partnership with the Flows to Bay program. 

Among her many passions, Erica cares deeply about biology, the health of the planet, and public education—but she’s also a grade-A detective. She has honed her skills over the years in one-on-one conversations with residents who come to her with tough pest and garden issues. In the clutch of a difficult garden conundrum, Erica takes a moment to identify the issue and then, almost without fail, offers up a number of effective solutions that also minimize environmental impacts. Often, the issues residents face in the garden are caused by certain practices they’ve adopted that, while well-intentioned, encourage the problem to occur in the first place. Overwatering, for instance, encourages root rot, weed growth, and pests. Reflecting on the many conversations she’s had with residents, Erica points out that,

“Most people want to make the right environmental decisions when they understand they have a choice. Best pest management practices involve working with the environmental factors in yards or gardens by supporting natural predators that attack pests or using traps to catch rats and moles rather than poisons which can also harm birds and other animals as well as children and pets.”

If Erica looks familiar, it might be because you’ve seen her tabling at your local Home Depot or Hassett Hardware store. At these tabling events, Master Gardener volunteers like Erica talk to customers about the impact that individual products can have on the health and productivity of our county’s soil and water. There are lots of products available that won’t harm you or your property, and Master Gardeners can help you figure out just what to use! You can find upcoming events on our calendar, or call the Master Gardeners directly for pressing concerns.

If you care about the environment or love to be in your garden and want to help make a difference, the Master Gardener Program is always looking for people to help teach residents how to care for plants and the planet. You can find volunteering information here. 

Have questions about the blog, our programming, or pest control problems you’re having? Contact us here.

The tools for growing and maintaining a beautiful, bright green, tightly edged, and short cut lawn are marketed to us every day. Whether it’s the right blend of seeds, a well-calibrated watering schedule, or a hefty dose of fertilizers and pesticides, the image of the perfect lawn is sold to us as an easy vision to manifest, over and over again. Though a healthy lawn can be a great amenity to a backyard or community park (game of soccer anyone?) it’s also true that lawns tend to wreak havoc on every ecosystem in which they are found.

If you added all the lawns in America together they would cover an area about the size of Florida. Consuming a whopping 7 billion gallons of water every day (a third of all residential water consumption), grass is the most abundantly irrigated plant in the country. In 2007 we dumped 78 million pounds of pesticides on residential lawns to keep them green. What’s the problem with all of this, you might ask? A whole heck of a lot, as you’ll find out below!

In the rest of this blog, we outline the primary ways in which lawns degrade nature and offer simple solutions that will help you transition to a more natural (and less demanding) landscape.

Pictured: A water-wise front yard planted with a diverse mix of native grasses and supported by Green Infrastructure that prevents runoff. Water-wise Tip: Grading the front yard slightly lower than the sidewalk will prevent runoff from polluting local creeks and allow for greater water infiltration into the garden.

  1. Location, Location, Location! Can you guess where the seed that comes in your standard grass starter comes from? Here’s a hint: Kentucky Bluegrass is not from Louisville! It’s native to Europe, North Asia, and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Not only is most grass adapted from regional climates that don’t exist in San Mateo County (meaning they require lots of water, fertilizer, & pesticides to maintain), but more lawn = fewer plants that support industrious pollinators like bees and butterflies. Did you know that 75% of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of the world’s crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce? Our reliance on pollinators for the food we eat makes their decline a major concern—American beekeepers have lost about 30% of their colonies every year since 2006. Reducing your reliance on insecticides and planting a pollinator garden are both easy ways to help reconnect fragmented habitat and lend pollinators a helping hand. If you need help finding native plants to fill your yard, use this resource!
  2. Health & Habitat Hazardous. Dogs that love to roam are particularly at risk of exposure to insecticides, and symptoms of poisoning can show up in a number of ways. But it’s not just our 4-legged furry friends we have to be worried about. Over time, pesticides accumulate in the soil where they can affect the worms and microorganisms that work to create healthy, nutrient-rich soils. When lawns are over-watered or are watered too quickly, they create runoff. The nitrogen and phosphorus that allow fertilizer to work wonders on the plants in our yards can also cause harmful algae blooms in our creeks and oceans. Pesticides can accumulate in the bodies of fish and in the sediment of the creeks and oceans we play in as well. Would you want to eat or swim in pesticides? If you’re ready to make the switch to a non-toxic or less-toxic pesticide alternative, click here!
  3. Money & Aesthetics. Ditching the lawn can also be good for the wallet. When drought strikes and water prices go up, so do restrictions about water use, and water for landscapes is the first allowance to go! You can be water-wise and plan for the next drought by installing a rain barrel, greywater system, or—if you live in the area of a participating agency—cash in on the Lawn Be Gone! rebate (up to $4 per square foot) and buy some drought-tolerant plants with your dough! When dry weather rolls in again you’ll be happier having a thriving succulent garden than you will be with a brown lawn. Our friend Julia from Redwood City replaced her lawn with this lovely water-wise landscape:

So, it turns out being water-wise and building healthier communities and relationships with nature is just as easy as growing a lawn, and it makes a whole lot more sense (and in some cases more cents, too!). If you decide to take the plunge with a water-wise project at home, be sure to send us before/after photos—we’d love to share your story!!

Have questions? We’re listening!

Feel free to email us at info@flowstobay.org.

It certainly does take a village to help prevent stormwater pollution, and in San Mateo County many residents have made strides to protect our water quality and environment. Read below as these water-wise community champions share their stories, tips, and tricks on how simple it is to make a difference.

Ray from San Bruno:

“We have been trying to minimize our ecological footprint since we moved to the Bay Area years ago. We started by doing an energy upgrade of our house, installing better insulation, more efficient lighting, more efficient appliances and eventually designing and installing a photovoltaic solar system on our roof. But as we lived through several drought seasons, we also wanted to minimize our water usage.  We changed our front lawn into a rock garden, replaced our water heater and laundry appliances for more water efficient models, and installed more efficient toilets and faucets.

We heard about the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) and, although we missed the lawn replacement rebates, we learned about the rain barrel rebates. We actually bought three rain barrels to see how they worked. It was fairly easy to install them, and they filled up quickly during the last rainy seasons. We use the water when installing new drought-resistant plants, and washing mud off walls, pathways, etc.”

Jennifer from Redwood City:

Like Ray, Jennifer used a BAWSCA rain barrel rebate to pay the majority cost of her barrel and did the installation herself. Jennifer shared some great insights for anyone considering getting a rain barrel through the rebate process:

“The application was pretty straight forward. There were additional photos that I needed to send…like photos of the side of the barrel and a picture of my home (to prove that the barrel was indeed installed at my home and not someone else’s). I found my barrel online at Ace Hardware and picked it up at the store. Note that there is a minimum barrel size (50 gallons) to be eligible for the rebate.”

Heidi & Tom from Brisbane:

With thriving, water-conserving succulent gardens in their front and backyard, Heidi and Tom share the love (and their plants) with friends and neighbors. And to bring it full circle, they help keep everything watered with the two rain barrels they own.

Inspired by their garden, we asked Heidi and Tom a couple of follow up questions…

Flows To Bay: What inspired you to install, not one, but two rain barrels?

Heidi & Tom: “Water is a precious resource that we take for granted; as long as water is coming out of the tap, all is well (or so many believe). With all the rain we are having, many people feel that the drought is over. It is not! Even if we had a reserve of water, we all still need to use water wisely. The rebates helped in our decision. We have 2 downspouts in perfect locations for rain barrels. I wish we had more barrels.”

Flows To Bay: Do you have any words of wisdom for others thinking about installing rainwater catchment systems?

Heidi & Tom: “Take advantage of any rebates. You’d be amazed at how much water collects off of your roof. They are not difficult to install, and you can be proud knowing that you are doing the right thing.”

At Flows To Bay we’d like to salute these everyday community heroes for doing their part. If you are a San Mateo resident with a water-wise project at home, we’d love to hear about it and feature you! Send your name, city of residence, pictures of your projects and a short description to info@flowstobay.org!

 

Flows To Bay recently held a “Water-Wise” photo contest to gather photographs of fantastic DIY water-related projects in San Mateo County (SMC). We received a lot of great submissions that highlighted a range of ways people in SMC are thinking about mitigating stormwater pollution and conserving our precious water resources. Check out some of these great home projects at the bottom of this blog!

Seeing these creative commitments to our local environment (from Bay to ocean) got us thinking about what it means to be “water-wise,” and how we can be inspired by what early adopters are already doing, and in some cases have been doing for many years. How many of us actually think about the “story of water” — where does it comes from, where does it go, and how do our behaviors affect water quality? Over the past month, we’ve learned that water-wisdom comes in all shapes and sizes. Read on to learn about how to become more water-wise at home this spring, and check out the great inspirational examples provided by SMC residents.

1) Succulent Heaven. Have you ever seen a golf course pond? Though these water basins may seem refreshing from a distance (or while out on the green), large artificially landscaped areas like this are not so water-wise.  These ponds can be full of fertilizers which damage our waterways by creating algae blooms that starve the surrounding water of oxygen through a process known as eutrophication. They also require a lot of water use, which golf courses are notorious for.

Not to call out golf courses as the only offender of course! On the whole, they just happen to make a case in point. Yet, any yard that uses fertilizers has the potential to contribute to the destructive process of eutrophication, and lawns in particular (requiring enormous inputs of both fertilizer and water to stay lush) are a primary culprit. Choosing lawn grasses that are native to California is a good water-wise move because they require way fewer applications of fertilizers and pesticides than the non-native grass species you might find in a run-of-the-mill grass mix at the local hardware store. And as we’ve written about previously, pesticides are one of the top four big water pollutants in our County.

Feeling tired of your lawn and all the care it requires? If that’s the case you might want to scratch the grass altogether and consider a succulent garden. Not only are succulents pretty and quirky, but they are very hardy plants that can flourish in both the rainy and dry seasons. They grow quickly and even make great gifts! Take a succulent clipping, put it in a can with some dirt, and chances are it’ll start to root! If you need some help planning a succulent garden, you might want to attend one of BAWSCA’s many free workshops happening all the time. Note: not all succulents are supportive of local habitats, and many are non-native species that can become a nuisance when left uncontrolled. Consider a local variety of the Dudleya genus. Also known as “Rock Lettuce,” this fantastic native will thrive in your yard and coexist happily with its plant neighbors.

2. Harvest Season. Another way to be water-wise and decrease your water usage during the dry season is to install a water catchment system, like a rain barrel. SMC has a great rain barrel rebate available, and many people (including Ray from San Bruno!) have taken advantage of it. But even if you haven’t found the time to purchase a rain barrel at the hardware store and participate in the rebate program, when it comes to conserving water, sometimes the simplest solutions are the best for getting started. For example, Remy, a resident of Daly City, collects rainwater in recycled buckets to water his houseplants, and Sybille, of Menlo Park, collects excess water while her shower is heating up. That extra bucket of cold water that would otherwise be wasted becomes the perfect water resource for plants in the yard (during the dry season), or a great supplement for the cat’s water bowl. The possibilities!

3. Washwater Waste. While the bucket you’ve been using to clean paint brushes out back might not seem like a big deal, when taken together, small amounts of water pollution can have a large impact on our local waters and wildlife. So,  when involved in any process outside that could generate polluted water when it rains (e.g. painting, surface cleaning/power-washing, hand-washing cars, applying pesticides or fertilizers, etc.) we have to be very careful about where that water ends up. Nothing other than rainwater should be going down the storm drain. The good news is that there are plenty of preventative, water-wise steps we can take to completely avoid these potential water-polluting scenarios in the first place.

The best thing we can do for the environment for most wash water is to collect and dispose of it in a toilet or another drain that’s connected to the sanitary sewer. If there’s no sewer connection available, dumping water in an area with gravel or grass will allow some natural filtering of the water to occur by plants and microorganisms before it rejoins the water table (this is especially useful for things like washing cars or pets at home). If you hire someone else to paint your home or work on your property, chances are they’re already familiar with best practices, but it never hurts to ask and you can always check out this list of contractors who have completed stormwater prevention trainings to find someone Bay-friendly! Remember: what gets into storm drains flows straight to local creeks, the ocean and the Bay without and treatment. Check out the County of San Mateo’s Household Hazardous Waste website for more information on proper disposal of potentially hazardous wastes.

4. Wanna go to the beach? Let’s face it, while there are many ways we can change our own behaviors to be more water-wise and to limit our personal contribution to water pollution in the future, our lands and waters are already feeling the impact, and so are we. Last year, four out of the 10 beaches listed on Heal the Bay’s “Beach Bummers” list for having the poorest water quality in California were located in SMC. Beach and shore cleanups are a great way to give back to the ocean we so often use, and there are lots of organizations like the Surfrider Foundation and Sea Huggers in and around San Mateo County that regularly host cleanup events. Even if you don’t have time to attend an official cleanup, taking a spare paper bag to the beach (or even around your neighborhood) and picking up a few pieces of trash is always a good call. Who knows, you might just be the domino that leads to an impromptu cleanup event!

While this blog only details a few ways that you can help curb ocean and Bay pollution this spring, as you can see, being water-wise is not a one-size-fits-all kind of shoe. All it really takes to protect the beautiful ecosystems we have in SMC is a little bit of care and a community to help you along the way.

Have you, or anyone you know, done something that we should be talking about? Please share! You can always reach out to us on Facebook, or email us at info@flowstobay.org.

Notable Water-Wise Photo Contest Submissions

  • Sybille, Menlo Park
  • HW, Brisbane
  • Ray, San Bruno
  • Remy, Daly City
  • Jen, Redwood City
  • Doug, Half Moon Bay
  • Sue, South San Francisco
  • Julia, Redwood City

Well, it’s official, the rainy season is upon us. It’s the time we bring out our raincoats and gaze up at that beautiful graphite sky hanging low overhead. It’s also the time of year that all of us at Flows To Bay feel our senses get a little keener. Like athletes training for the big event, we talk about the “rainy season” year round, so that when it actually comes we are ready to hit the ground running. Preventing stormwater pollution is the name of the game, and while we’re all on the same team, our individual actions matter! Here are four ways you can step to the plate and make great plays for clean water this season:

1. Always flush dog waste down the toilet or put it in the trash. I know you might be a little skeptical about how bad dog poop actually is for the environment. After all, there are tons of wild animals that poop outside all the time! And what about the nutrients in poop that are surely good for plants!? While to some extent both of those thoughts may be valid, it’s also true that pet waste contains lots of harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites—including pathogens like E. coli, giardia, and salmonella. So is it really a problem? Yes, it is. Get this: last year, four out of the ten beaches on Heal the Bay’s “Beach Bummers” list for having the poorest water quality in California were located in San Mateo County. That’s almost half! And two of those four beaches were on the list due to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria. So remember friends—pet waste cannot be composted or left on the ground. Trash bin and toilet only!

2. Adopt a Drain. If you haven’t yet considered adoption, we’d like to urge you to take the plunge. There are a number of cities in San Mateo County (Burlingame, Pacifica, San Mateo, & South San Francisco) that offer official programs, and even if yours doesn’t you’re in luck. This is not a legally binding adoption—all you really need is a rake and some pride in your community! Keeping storm drains and their surrounding areas clean of leaves and trash not only protects our watersheds from high nutrient loads and critter-threatening plastics, but it helps prevent dangerous and potentially costly flooding.

3. Apply pesticides and fertilizers sparingly, and don’t forget to READ THE DIRECTIONS! You may be tempted to give your plants a boost this spring by laying on the fertilizers or want to protect them with a coat of pesticides. While we understand that fertilizers and pesticides may be necessary in certain situations, they can also be harmful to our waterways and ecosystems when applied in excess. Fertilizer that runs off into our waterways can cause damaging algal blooms, and pesticides can harm our local wildlife. If you must apply additives to your garden, check out this list of eco-friendly products, and follow these guidelines:

  • Spot Application: Only spray areas that need to be treated.
  • Watch for Wind & Rain: Only spray in low wind conditions to avoid spray drift. Don’t spray when the wind exceeds 10 mph, or when rain is in the forecast.
  • Protect Others: Ensure that all other people and animals are moved well away from the spraying area and that they stay away until it is safe to return.
  • Recycle Properly: Take all excess pesticides to a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility.

4. Volunteer at a community cleanup. Sometimes we need an excuse to get outside. For this, there’s nothing better than an opportunity to do a great service to the environment while exploring your neighborhood, local park, or beach! Picking up trash is win-win: not only beautifying your neighborhood but directly reducing the potential for stormwater pollution. By removing debris that is likely to be picked up by runoff, you keep it from being transported to the nearest storm drain and flushed to the bay. The Pacifica Beach Coalition and the Surfrider Foundation both organize volunteer cleanup days throughout the year, and you can always check the Flows to Bay events calendar for upcoming event dates and information.

You don’t need to be a pro to step up to the plate and knock stormwater pollution out of the park. So go ahead, consider our list and make the team proud. We’ll see you out there!

We hear a lot about the sources of “water pollution” in the Bay Area and beyond—whether it’s pesticides and fertilizers from lawns and farmland coming down the creek, an industrial site spilling chemicals into the bay or ocean, or older vehicles that leak motor oil and other fluids onto the street—the potential for pollution is everywhere. But what chemicals are we actually talking about when we talk about “stormwater pollution,” and how might they affect us? These are the questions that often remain a mystery. Keep reading to find answers as we explain which pollutants are most common and hazardous to the Bay, how they got there, and what we’re going to do about it.

1) Mercury. It’s a planet, it’s what makes that old thermometer work, and it can also be found in that beautiful piece of striped bass you just bought at Whole Foods (and many other large-species fish for that matter).

 
While the Bay is slowly cleaning itself and washing an estimated 3,100 pounds of mercury a year out to sea, roughly 2,000 pounds of mercury enter the SF Bay each year from stormwater and other sources. At this speed, it will take generations for the bay to purge itself fully.  

Depending on the weather, mercury can be transported from just a few feet away to halfway around the globe —  today it mostly comes from the emissions of local oil refineries, cement kilns, coal burning power plants and forest fires. Once it lands in our waterways, bacteria convert it to methylmercury which is taken up by plants and then moves into the organisms that eat them. As it travels up the food chain its concentration in individual animals increases in a process called “biomagnification.”

Why should seafood lovers be wary of the presence of mercury in different kinds of fish? Because mercury is toxic in tiny concentrations! A single drop in a backyard swimming pool (the equivalent of about 1 part per billion) is more than enough to cause permanent damage. In humans, mercury may cause tremors, problems with vision, and damage to the central nervous system. Studies also reveal developmental problems in wildlife.

Check out this resource for information about fish consumption in the Bay. Though several types of fish, especially those higher up on the food-chain, pose a risk to regular consumers, a variety of alternatives are available at most grocery stores that are “mercury-safe.” Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide for more information.

2) PCBs. “P-C-Whats?,” you ask. PCBs, or Polychlorinated Biphenyls (if you want more of a mouthful), are chlorine-impregnated oils which were once widely used in industrial applications for heat transfer and coolant, and in carbonless copy paper, among other uses. While the production of PCBs was banned by Congress in 1979 when people found out how bad they were, they are still used today in electrical transformers.

PCBs represent what are known as “legacy pollutants”—contaminants that were released into the land, air and water from past industrial activities (sometimes many decades ago), that still have a negative impact today.

In the Bay, most PCBs are found in the bottom sediment and travel the same path as mercury—first accumulating at the base of the food chain, and then passing through larger and larger animals until eventually getting into our own diet.

High levels of PCBs specifically harm the liver, digestive tract, and nerves, and can also affect development and reproduction, and the immune system. Unsurprisingly, they have also been found to cause cancer.

3) Pesticides. Pesticides are marketed to suggest that they target and kill specific “pests.” Unfortunately, the actual footprint pesticides have tends to be much, MUCH larger than you might think.

Bugs that eat pesticide-covered plants can become food for other insects and other animals, causing direct harm to many well-loved Bay Area critters like shorebirds and seals. When it rains, pesticides are often washed off plants and properties, and transported into urban creeks and the ocean, where they begin to take immediate effect. BayKeeper reports that only 91 out of the 100,000+ chemicals—including many chemicals used in pesticides—that have been approved for use in the United States over the past 30 years, are regulated.

Luckily a lot of progress has been made to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in pesticides, but, commonly used pesticides including fipronil and imidacloprid are still in use—even the spot-on flea control which can be so useful for getting rid of fleas and ticks on our pets can be a source of water pollution!

4) Trash. This is the pollutant we are all most familiar with—so we’ll keep it short. Trash affects our waters when animals mistake it for food, and when it traps and ensnares them. It presents an added stress on the aquatic community, and an eye-sore for everyone involved. One way to avoid water pollution is to properly manage your waste bins at home. The quickest way (aside from flat out littering) to cause a trash problem is by overfilling your receptacles. Keeping your trash and recyclables properly sorted and ensuring your bins aren’t overflowing on pick-up day is a sure bet to cleaner streets. You can also go the extra mile and reduce your use of trash-making materials like single-use foodware (i.e., paper plates and napkins), and perhaps even join a local cleanup event. When it rains, that debris will flow to the nearest storm drain, which discharges into the nearest creek, and flows right to the Bay or ocean.

Above: Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters is topped by a 9-acre green roof, which insulates and conserves energy used to cool the building, while reducing stormwater runoff, and providing habitat for wildlife.

Pollution Solutions!!

While there is no one fix to the stormwater pollution problems we have in San Mateo County, there are some small changes we can make that will have a big impact. Small things like minimizing our pesticide usage, picking up after our pets, properly disposing of our trash, and having conversations about this topic with friends, neighbors and families is a terrific start!

The other thing we can do to reduce  stormwater pollution is to reduce the flow of water entering the storm system when it rains. Less water in the system helps reduce the amount of runoff-related pollutants entering our waterways.  As residents, you can help by installing rain barrels/cisterns or rain gardens on your property. These “rain-saving” solutions can reduce your runoff footprint and protect our precious water resources. As a county, plans are already underway to implement larger green infrastructure projects like bioretention areas, where greater volumes of water can be collected and filtered through specially designed landscaped areas. Fun Fact: as water moves through the soil, it is naturally filtered by mircroogramisms and plants!

If you’re curious about local green infrastructure projects, you can check our article & blog on green infrastructure, and get updates by signing up for our newsletter!

Let’s continue the conversation.

It’s up to all of us to prevent stormwater pollution, and the time for action is now! Be sure to send us your thoughts at info@flowstobay.org, follow us on Facebook, and look out for our monthly blogs!

With the long dry spell that happens for the better part of the year, some of us may be grateful for the upcoming rainy season. But due to tremendous amounts of urban development throughout the County, rain after a long drought can sometimes be more of a menace than a saving grace.

When the heavy rains come, hillside homes are at risk of erosion and structural  issues. Extra rain on roads, roofs, sidewalks and other hard or impervious surfaces can lead to excessive ponding in low-lying elevations, especially in flatter areas of the County. With the unpredictability of future weather events in the face of a changing climate, where storms are more frequent (or sporadic but more intense), the issues are compounded.

Meanwhile, ocean- and Bay-side, we have rising seas to be concerned about. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 4,100 homes in San Mateo County are at risk of becoming chronically inundated with tidal water by 2045. “Chronic inundation” refers to the slow creep of sea level rise that causes road closures, sends water into basements, and pushes down real estate values while raising insurance premiums. The homes at risk in SMC currently house nearly 10,000 people and are collectively valued at 2.25 billion dollars.

Fortunately, there are actions we can take to not only help mitigate the effects of flooding, but also improve water quality and enhance neighborhoods. Say hello to green infrastructure.

What Is Green Infrastructure?

Green Infrastructure (GI) is infrastructure that uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments. GI comes in many different forms, but all include resilient, sustainable systems that slow, filter, harvest, infiltrate and/or evapotranspirate rainwater, all in an effort to reduce the potential consequences of too much water on the landscape.

In 2019, the 20 towns and cities plus the County of San Mateo will be adopting Green Infrastructure Plans to layout a strategy for managing stormwater more sustainably using green infrastructure. These plans will create new policies and identify community priorities to guide green stormwater infrastructure projects over the coming decades. Keep reading to learn about different GI examples and the ways in which they can help mitigate flooding and improve water quality.

1.) Permeable surfaces. Even though our Public Works departments are diligent about keeping storm drains free of debris, a single blocked drain can cause serious problems and exacerbate flooding. One solution is to ensure storm drains stay clean of trash, litter, sediment, and foliage. But another solution is to increase the amount of permeable ground cover which would allow more water to soak into the ground instead of running off and flowing directly into the storm drain system. An added benefit  of permeable surfaces? As water moves through the ground it is cleaned by microorganisms in the soil, which makes it much cleaner than it would have been otherwise when it enters our creeks and flows to the Bay and Pacific Ocean. Interlocking concrete pavers, porous asphalt, and pervious concrete are all examples of these types of permeable paving surfaces.

2.) Rain Gardens and Bioswales.  Landscaping features that are used to slow, collect, and filter stormwater are another great way to mitigate flooding while improving water quality. Rain gardens and bioswales (which typically move water through a landscape more than they infiltrate water) are depressed areas of almost any size and shape  that are vegetated with plants that can withstand both heavy watering and drought. To ensure optimum performance, rain gardens are mulched with organic and inorganic materials alike (e.g. things like compost and pea gravel) to dissipate the energy of water flowing into them and to keep plants thriving. And much like the before mentioned permeable surfaces, the soil or ground cover used in these systems are designed to filter and clean stormwater before it arrives at larger water bodies.

  • Plants and shrubs for stormwater capture in between sidewalks; dirt area to the left; building behind it on the left

3.) Cisterns and Rain Barrels.

Beyond designing features that control the way water moves through our neighborhoods, taking advantage of the rain for our own needs at home or business can help curb water pollution and flooding as well. Whether you choose to install a cistern that hold thousands of gallons of rainwater, or a barrel with a maximum capacity of 55 gallons, collecting rainwater prevents runoff by storing it over time and using it as it is needed. When the ground is saturated, the remaining water that can’t get absorbed moves across the top of the ground, picking up pesticides, toxins, trash, and anything else on the ground as it flows. Rain barrels and other rainwater harvesting systems reduce the amount of water that makes it onto the ground in the first place, both reducing stormwater runoff, pollution, and ultimately saving you money on your water bill as the captured rainwater can be used to water your garden, wash your car, or bathe your pets. Click here to learn more about rain barrels and to take advantage of the Countywide rain barrel rebate.

Our Shared Future

Flooding is a real and growing concern in San Mateo county, but some of its effects can be alleviated with some very simple upgrades. Green infrastructure projects are already underway in the County with the support of the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG). C/CAG has already developed a countywide stormwater resource plan and recently received a Caltrans grant to create a Sustainable Streets Master Plan. The master plan aims to prioritize roadways in the county that are prime locations for integrating green infrastructure with other community priorities and planned investments, such as bicycle and pedestrian improvements, pavement maintenance, and utility upgrades. C/CAG also recently awarded $2.1 million to 10 municipalities for integrating green infrastructure with Safe Routes to Schools improvements. These efforts help demonstrate the potential for green infrastructure to build more resilient communities while  addressing long-term stormwater issues.

On an individual level, you can help too! Share this blog with your friends, talk to your neighbors about this issue, and ask your city council about green infrastructure projects in your neighborhood. Residents can also take action to protect the health and beauty of our water bodies by picking up after their pets, implementing eco-friendly gardening and auto maintenance practices, participating in the rain barrel rebate program, and properly disposing household hazardous wastes—to name a few. We are also available to answer questions and hear ideas—you can email us at info@flowstobay.org.

More Reading & Resources:

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