Clean Water. Healthy Community. It's a team effort!
Category: Water Quality
Come one! Come all! Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) is nearly upon us, and if you haven’t participated previously, you’ll definitely want to mark this Saturday, September 21 on your calendar!
This family-friendly cleanup is the largest volunteer event in California. By leveraging the power of collective, state-wide participation, CCD aims to bring awareness to human impacts on the marine environment and the cascading effects that litter and pollution have on our aquatic ecosystems. Last year in California alone, 66,535 volunteers removed 839,632 pounds of garbage from our beautiful beaches! This year, we’re looking to beat those numbers but we need your help to get these top 10 polluters off the beach.
Cleanups are held all over San Mateo County: beaches, creeks, waterways, parks, and neighborhoods. Families are encouraged to bring their children, as this family-friendly event is a great opportunity to learn about litter and how to prevent pollution from ending up in our local waterways.
When: All Coastal Cleanup Day events are on Saturday, September 21st from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (unless otherwise noted).
Where: Over 40 sites throughout San Mateo County!
How to Volunteer: Volunteers should pre-register by selecting a site and RSVPing directly with the site captain. You can use this link to find a volunteer location and your captain’s contact information. You can also register on the day of the cleanup. If you are a large group, please contact the site captain first.
Prepare for the event:
Waiver Forms – Every participant is required to sign a waiver form. Waivers will be provided at your site by the site captain the day of the event, but to make your check-in faster, you may print, sign and bring the following waiver with you. All volunteers under the age of 18 must have the waiver form signed by a parent or legal guardian before participating in a cleanup. English and Spanish waivers.
Bring/Wear – If you can, consider carpooling, biking, or taking public transit to your location and bring your own buckets, gloves, and reusable water bottle to help reduce our overall footprint during the event! Wear comfortable closed-toe shoes and bring sunscreen and/or a hat.
Day Of – Check-in at your site location’s sign-in table to receive direction from a site captain. Listen to the safety orientation, have fun and be safe!
Chances are you’ve walked a dog or know someone who has in your lifetime. Dogs are undeniably great; they’re cute, they love us unconditionally, and they get us out of the house.
And while some dogs are smart enough to learn remarkable commands and do amazing tricks, they rely on responsible pet owners to make sure their waste gets properly cleaned up and disposed of.
Leaving poop unscooped can be tempting, especially when your pup is sick or off-leash and out-of-sight for just long enough to do the doo but not long enough to verify where it’s located. We’ve all been there. Even the owner of a local poop scooper business, DoodyCalls, knows that feeling! As a young man in the 1970s, Rick and his friends would bury dog poop in the yard or toss it in a creek that flowed behind their homes. But now, as the owner of a business that aims to remedy this issue, Rick realizes the drawbacks of this behavior.
There are multiple problems that stem from leaving pet poop unscooped.
Unlike wild animal poop, dog feces are PACKED with extra nutrients. Want proof? Wild animals are healthy when they are able to look for food all day. Your dog stays healthy when it’s able to eat a little bit in the morning, nap most of the day, chase a ball for a bit and then eat again. If two small meals are all it takes to keep your dog healthy, they must be nutrient-rich and well balanced! Leaving poop on the ground creates perfect nutrient hotspots for invasive plants to flourish.
Rats love it too! When rats can’t get into your garbage cans or homes, they are easily attracted to any food sources that are available. And when they don’t find a wicker basket full of fine wine, cheese, and bread, these rodents can settle for the undigested pieces of kibble found in abandoned dog waste (they’re not picky eaters). Leaving pet waste unscooped leads to uninvited rodent guests looking for dinner.
Pet waste that doesn’t get picked up, can ultimately end up in our waterways. Urban and stormwater runoff can wash pet waste down storm drains and into streams, creeks, the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean untreated. Why does this matter? According to the EPA, pet waste contains bacteria that threaten the health of animals and people, especially children. Diseases that can be transmitted from pet waste include salmonellosis, toxocariasis, and toxoplasmosis. Not picking up after your dog can have some sickly consequences for beach-goers and aquatic animals alike.
Pet waste is one of the largest contributors to water quality problems in San Mateo County—but it’s one that each of us can help correct. Picking up your pet’s waste and properly disposing of it in the waste (not compost) receptacle is just one of the ways you can make a difference in our County’s water quality.
But if you need another motivator to pick up your own dog’s waste—do it for the stretch:
Do you have other creative ways of picking up after your pet? We’d love to hear from you! You can email info@flowstobay.org with your thoughts, questions, and concerns.
Sometimes doing things ourselves means we can be more creative, efficient, and smarter with our resources. For example, making food at home rather than getting takeout can reduce waste by eliminating unnecessary driving and the need for single-use packaging. But when it comes to washing your car at home, this weekend chore can actually become a huge source of water waste and contribute to water pollution.
While it may feel like washing it yourself is the better choice, taking your vehicle to a commercial car wash is the much more environmentally-friendly and water-wise option.
Car Washing At Home
So how can commercial washes, with their giant hoses and huge machines, use less water than you would at home with your yard hose and sponge?
Washing your car at home uses about 12 gallons of water per minute when using a basic 50 feet hose that is half an inch in diameter. This amount almost doubles at 22 gallons per minute if your hose is 5/8 of an inch in diameter (Curious about how much water your garden hose uses? Check out this nifty flow rate chart!). Ultimately, using a garden hose can contribute to a lot of water waste! A short 10-minute car wash can amount to more than 100 gallons of water.
To add insult to injury, all of that water is very likely running off your driveway, sidewalk, or street, and into a nearby storm drain. Water from car washing can contain many elements that are unsafe for natural waterways. This includes dirt, oil, metals (copper, nickel, and zinc), other car fluids—and of course—soapy phosphates and chlorides from carwash soap. All these pollutants get carried by the water into a storm drain and then flow directly into nearby creeks or other waterways.
How Are Commercial Car Washes Any Better?
Commercial washers are equipped with high-pressure hoses and sophisticated machinery that limits the amount of water used. An automatic car wash will use about 30-45 gallons of water per vehicle according to a 2018 study by the International Carwash Association, typically less than half the amount of washing it at home.
The water savings don’t stop there. Instead of the water draining into local waterways, commercial car washes have ground drains where water is collected. The water is then taken to a treatment facility plant, where it can be filtered and reused. At least 60% of the water must go through this facility and be recycled and reused as required by California Law.
Eco-Friendly Car Washing At Home
Okay—so maybe you’re not a fan of paying to have your car washed. If you would rather wash your car at home, there are a few things you can do that will lower your water waste and water pollution. Here are 4 important tips for the do-it-yourselfers:
Wash your car on grass, gravel, or another porous surface that will help absorb the water and make sure it doesn’t go down a storm drain;
Wash your car using waterless cleaners (these new cleaners are designed to be sprayed onto your car and then wiped off with a rag—no water needed!)
If you’ve found more ways to reduce pollution, conserve more water while washing your car at home, or if you have thoughts about commercial car washing, please send your tips and comments to info@flowstobay.org.
Summer’s officially arrived in San Mateo County! The start of the beach season also brings the 2019 Heal The Bay Beach Report Card. This report tells us which California beaches make the water quality grade. If you plan on hitting the beaches this summer, read on to understand which beaches to watch out for and how you can help make a difference in improving our local beaches and their water quality.
The Good
The good news is that since the 2018 report, San Mateo reduced the number of beaches on the “Beach Bummer” list by 50%, going from four down to two. A significant improvement in just one year.
The Bad
The bad news? San Mateo County still has two beaches of the top 10 Bummer list for all of California beaches. Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica is once again the #3 worst beach and received an “F” grade. Linda Mar Beach is impacted by runoff during dry weather, which flows untreated into the Pacific Ocean through San Pedro Creek. The second beach to make the list with a “D” grade is Parkside Aquatic Park in the city of San Mateo. Making the “Beach Bummer” list in 2014, Aquatic Park is surrounded on all sides by residential housing, making it heavily impacted by runoff. The City of San Mateo has a goose control program in place to reduce the impact that goose excrement has on water quality. Aquatic Park is also one of five San Francisco Bay beaches with a bacteria total maximum daily load (TMDL) in place. The TMDL is a regulatory term, describing a plan for restoring impaired waters by identifying a maximum amount of a pollutant a body of water can receive while meeting water quality standards. In the case of Aquatic Park, the pollutant is bacteria.
And The Ugly
Where things get a bit ugly is that beachgoers who come in contact with polluted waters have a much higher risk of contracting illnesses like ear infections, skin rashes, and the stomach flu, to name a few. Though there are multiple pathways for pollutants to reach our creeks, the Bay, and the ocean, stormwater runoff can be a significant contributor to poor water quality by flushing contaminants and bacteria from our streets into urban waterways. Runoff doesn’t always mean water from rainstorms, either. During the rain-free months, runoff can include water from garden hoses, irrigation systems, and any water that finds its way into a storm drain. As it flows, stormwater runoff collects and transports animal waste, litter, pesticides, fertilizers, automotive fluids, and other potential pollutants into our waterways. Pollution in runoff can make water bodies in San Mateo County unsafe for fishing, swimming, and other recreational activities.
How You Can Help
“Protecting our water resources is everyone’s responsibility. Each resident of San Mateo County can show pride in their local beaches by doing their part in preventing stormwater pollution,” said Matthew Fabry, Manager of the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program.
Organizations, such as Pacific Beach Coalition are leading the way in cleaning up trash and litter. These groups coordinate and host monthly beach cleanups. Can’t make it to a beach clean up? You can still make a difference and help improve water quality at our beaches with simple action at home such as:
Picking up after your pet (dog, cat, goose, or otherwise)
Reducing pesticide usage or replacing your pesticide with a non-toxic alternative
Taking your car to the car wash instead of washing it at home
Cleaning up litter from the streets
Maintaining your vehicle so it doesn’t leak auto fluids onto the streets
Flows To Bay, the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program, has a mission of educating residents about the ways in which we can collectively reduce stormwater pollution to protect our waterways, our communities, and the people and wildlife who live in them. Owning maintaining, and using a rain barrel is just one way residents can do this. Read on for a recap of our recent rain barrel workshop in the beautiful new public library in Half Moon Bay. Like all Flows to Bay events, this workshop was free of charge and a great chance for residents to learn more and get serious about rain barrel ownership. If you have questions, or want more support after reading the blog, feel free to email us at info@flowstobay.org.
BRAVING THE RAIN
The December 1st Flows To Bay Rain Barrel Workshop kicked off just as a heavy rainstorm passed through the area. The timing couldn’t have been better to capture the potential of rainwater harvesting. Though admittedly a little wet, with water-soaked shoes, umbrellas, and rain jackets in tow, workshop attendees poured into the Half Moon Bay Library ready and willing to learn everything on tap at this “nuts-and-bolts” workshop. The remnants of nearly 24 hours of steady rain served as the perfect backdrop for the conversation that day.
The workshop began with a discussion of the Rain Barrel Rebate Program available to all residents of San Mateo County. Did you know that this program provides County residents with up to a $100 in rebates courtesy of the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program together with various participating agencies? Keeping in mind that the cost of a 50-gallon rain barrel starts at roughly $80, this rebate has the potential to cover most, if not all, of the purchase cost! To get more information and apply for the rain barrel rebate, visit the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency site.
FREE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTATION, YOU ASK?
Brittani Bohlke then introduced the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District (RCD). As a water resource specialist with the RCD, Brittani helps local landowners manage their natural resources (i.e. water, wildlife, agriculture, farms and ranches), and provides free non-regulatory assistance to County residents.
In fact, if you happen to have a bit of agricultural land or more landscape than you know what to do with, you can sign up for a free site visit from the RCD to get helpful tips on sustainable land management. Just give them a call at (650) 712-7765, and a specialist like Brittani will come to your home and help you brainstorm achievable ideas and projects that you can implement at home related to sustainable landscaping, stormwater management, rainwater harvesting, and more. Flows To Bay works with the RCD to spread stormwater pollution awareness from the coastside to the bayside of San Mateo County, and their service is an integral part of that work.
THE MAIN EVENT
The rainwater harvesting presentation was given by Chris Corvetti, an uber sharp rain barrel installation specialist, who also consults with Grassroots Ecology. Chris explained the perks of rainwater harvesting, which include both environmental and personal benefits, such as:
Saving money on your water bill
Reducing polluted stormwater runoff from getting into our Bay and ocean
Improving the water quality of our streams and creeks
Decreasing land erosion
Reducing moisture around your home’s foundation
Increasing infiltration and groundwater storage
Chris also provided lots of interesting factoids. Did you know that rainwater is healthier for plants than tap water? The chlorine and other byproducts added to make tap water safe to drink may actually stunt plant growth. We also learned that a half inch of rainfall on a 1000-square foot roof has the potential of harvesting 310 gallons of rainwater! Taking into account that the annual rainfall average in San Mateo County is 21 inches, the same size roof has vast water harvesting potential (13,020 gallons, to be exact). And did you know that rain barrels must be opaque because sunlight would activate the growth of bacteria, which would then render the rainwater unusable (and fairly stinky, at that)?
The workshop ended with the much anticipated raffle giveaway of a 50-gallon rain barrel from our partners at Hassett Hardware, and two $25 gift cards to their store. The lucky winners of the barrel were San Mateo County residents, Lynn and Marcello Altwer (pictured below).
Flows To Bay is grateful to Half Moon Bay Library for hosting our workshop. A special thank you to our presenters, Chris and Brittani (left and right, respectively), who provided quality educational information about stormwater pollution prevention and water harvesting to a fun group of San Mateo County residents!
Interested in receiving the rain barrel information discussed in the workshop? Have additional questions about the rain barrel rebate program? Curious how you can prevent stormwater pollution in your neighborhood? Please email us as info@flowstobay.org and we’ll be happy to help! And be sure to check our calendar for more events you can attend—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.
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!
Have you ever been caught in a massive downpour and watched the seemingly endless flow of water flush through the streets and spill into storm drains? The power of water is truly remarkable, whether the tidal power of the ocean, or the gravitational stream of rainwater pouring through our streets and sewers. All of life depends on water, yet stormwater is often overlooked, treated as a waste. And with all that water coming out of the sky, have you ever considered where it ends up?
Where does the stormwater go?
Now that our cities and neighborhoods are mostly paved, rain can no longer soak back into the ground and into the roots of plants like it once did. Most of the time, unless you’ve got green infrastructure in your community, stormwater that starts on your street channels through gutters and pipes to nearby water bodies, where the pipe terminates and the water, along with everything it has picked up along the way, joins a stream. This water goes unfiltered into the stream, so everything that has flowed off of lawns (namely pesticides and fertilizers) and spilled out of of overflowing trash cans, ends up in your local watershed. Not only is the waste and pollution itself a problem, but we also, in a sense, “lose” all that water, because it flows unused right out to the bay or ocean. Last year, San Mateo County’s population grew more than it had in the previous 7 years. As our county continues to grow and become more dense, the problem intensifies.
What can be done?
The good news is that we can all take simple actions that can go a long way to lessening the burden on our waterways. Beyond ensuring your cars aren’t leaking oil, picking up your pet’s waste and using eco-friendly pesticides, you can work to reduce the amount of water reaching your storm drains in the first place. This has a two-fold benefit: 1) reducing the flow of water that can pick up pollutants and 2) upcycling some of that water instead of letting it run straight to the nearest drain. Rain Gardens are one way that rainwater can be contained and allowed to infiltrate the ground instead of entering the stormwater system. When planted with native species, rain gardens can also act as effective micro-habitats and pollinator gardens for the non-human neighbors who live on your block.
But what if you want to store stormwater and use it little-by-little, as you need it? Enter the “rain barrel.” You may have seen these perched under a downspout here and there in your neighborhood, passively gathering water. Rain barrels and cisterns vary in size, with storage capacities ranging from a few gallons to a few thousand. They can be used outside to water your garden and hose down the dog, or you may be the adventurous type and want to plumb your toilets with rainwater (though rainwater that supplies indoor fixtures requires proper filtration first – check with your local public officials and health department before trying this one…).
Acquiring a rain barrel of your own.
But wait, there’s more good news! San Mateo County offers an excellent rebate program that makes owning a rain barrel more affordable than ever. The rebate of up to $100 can cover a substantial portion of the typical cost of a 55-gallon rain barrel at your local hardware store. You can fill out a rebate application here.
Why should you install a Rain Barrel?
In addition to reducing your water bill, rain barrels are beneficial for a host of other reasons:
1.) You’ll help reduce water pollution from runoff.
Like rain gardens, rain barrels work to protect local creeks, the San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean by reducing urban runoff. During heavy rains, water that is not able to be absorbed by the soil will “run” towards the lowest point on your property to a gutter or storm drain. As runoff flows over the top of the soil it picks up fertilizers, pesticides, trash, oil, and dirt—all of which act as pollutants as they enter local waterways.
2.) Rainwater is free of the additives that tap water has for sanitation.
While safe for human consumption, the salts, inorganic ions, and fluoride compounds found in tap water can slowly accumulate in soil and disrupt the communities of microorganisms that are important for soil health. Over time, plant growth can be affected by this changing soil environment.
3.) Mold flourishes in damp environments.
As we enter the rainy season, prolonged periods of rain can create ideal conditions for mold growth. By collecting water from downspouts, rain barrels are an easy way to protect the siding and foundation of your home from deterioration.
4.) Become your block’s shining beacon of environmental stewardship!
Rain barrels are great conversation starters. Show your neighbors what you’ve done and tell them about the rain barrel rebate program! Think of a fun way to decorate your barrel and become the local envy! When the jealousy wears off, your neighbors will thank you, and so will the earth.
We want to hear from you!
Share any thoughts and questions you have about our rain barrel program and our stormwater management efforts, by emailing info@flowstobay.org. We encourage feedback and would love to hear your suggestions for how to engage residents of San Mateo County!
This year, four out of ten of the most polluted beaches in California were in San Mateo County, according to Heal the Bay’s annual report card released in early June. Labelled as the “Beach Bummers” for receiving an F grade in water quality, they included: Lakeshore Park, Marina Lagoon (San Mateo), Linda Mar Beach at San Pedro Creek (Pacifica), Roosevelt Beach, south of the parking lot (Half Moon Bay), and Surfer’s Beach, south end of the riprap (Half Moon Bay).
All four beaches made the list due to bacterial pollution which can come from various sources, such as leaking or overflowing sanitary sewers, homeless encampments, wildlife, and pet waste. Beachgoers who come in contact with polluted waters have a much higher risk of contracting illnesses like ear infections, skin rashes, and the stomach flu, to name a few. To help protect the public, the County of San Mateo Health System actively monitors the water quality at recreational beaches and alerts the public when there are concerns.
Though there are multiple pathways for pollutants to reach our creeks, the Bay, and the ocean, stormwater can be a significant contributor to poor water quality by flushing contaminants and bacteria from our streets into urban waterways. Stormwater is rainwater that does not soak into the ground. It flows from rooftops and over paved areas, bare soil, and sloped lawns. As it flows, stormwater runoff collects and transports animal waste, litter, pesticides, fertilizers, automotive fluids, and other potential pollutants.
Pollution in stormwater runoff can make water bodies in San Mateo County unsafe for fishing, swimming, and other recreational activities. To address the problem, the cities and county are focused on improving water quality by developing long-term plans to use “green infrastructure” to clean stormwater. Green infrastructure uses nature-based solutions to capture and treat stormwater as it soaks into the ground rather than flowing directly into creeks and other waterways. Rain gardens, stormwater planter boxes, vegetated bulb-outs, and urban trees are examples of nature-based solutions that help reduce flooding and filter stormwater runoff.
“Managing stormwater, both to reduce pollution and the amount of runoff, is a serious issue facing San Mateo County. Not only is it affecting water quality at our beaches, it causes flooding and erosion of coastal areas. We need to manage stormwater as a resource, not a waste, and proactively act as stewards of our naturally beautiful communities in San Mateo County,” said Maryann Moise Derwin, Chair of the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG).
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Green infrastructure is a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather…by reduc[ing] and treat[ing] stormwater at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits. Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and other elements and practices to restore some of the natural processes required to manage water and create healthier urban environments.”
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 recently awarded $2.1 million to 10 municipalities for integrating green infrastructure with “Safe Routes to Schools” improvements. These efforts will support the cities, towns, and the county in creating local green infrastructure plans to address long-term stormwater issues.
Residents of San Mateo County can take individual 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, and properly disposing of household hazardous wastes, to name a few.
“Protecting our water resources is everyone’s responsibility. Each resident of San Mateo County can show pride in their local beaches by doing their part in preventing stormwater pollution,” said Matthew Fabry, Manager of the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program.
October 7th was Save The Bay’s annual Bay Day, an event aimed towards bringing awareness to the health of our most treasured natural resource, the Bay! Bay Day hosts educational and recreational activities that will ignite your love for the Bay and motivates Bay Area residents to protect our local waters. With over 68 event locations throughout the Bay, including coastal restoration projects, trash cleanups and trail hiking, Save The Bay ensured plenty of local fun to all Bay Area residents. had the honor of attending the Bay Day homebase at Redwood City’s PortFest.
The sheer number of Bay Dayers congregating around the live band and festive tables sharing messages of a commitment to a clean and vibrant Bay is testament to the fact that clean water and healthy ecosystems are a priority for many of us, and that local residents are ready to make a positive difference. It was inspiring just to see how easily people were engaged in learning about “stormwater pollution,” which typically isn’t the winning conversation at the party. But it’s clear that people do care and want to know what they can do to help reduce their own impact. To join the movement, our team shared the new Flows To Bay Challenge — a great way for residents to take action here in San Mateo through fun stewardship and sustainable-living events and all the resources you need to get started.
The reality of how each of us has a direct link to the health of the Bay, however, is not always clear. One family we spoke with, a young couple with a toddler, did not know that our trash, pesticides, etc. flow directly into the Bay without first being treated. This is a very common misconception that stormwater is treated before it enters the ocean. Any trash, pet waste, oil or other pollutants on sidewalks or streets eventually make its way directly to the ocean with no treatment. Albeit surprised, this young family quickly made notes about how to improve their home and their daily routines to lessen their impact. Like most of us, they want their daughter to grow up aware of and engaged in the issue, perhaps more than they themselves had been due to busy schedules. The main thought that seemed to linger as they moseyed along was that there are small things that all of us can do, like not over-filling waste bins, or capturing stormwater from your roof to water your garden.
We also spoke with a group of teenagers who were involved in a local sailing club, This eager group of young conservationists had seen first hand the litter and pollutants that can end up the Bay. They came to Bay Day mostly to have fun, but also to learn about what they could do to prevent the all too familiar site of litter and pollution on the Bay. We talked to them about local cleanup events and ways they can prevent litter from appearing in the first place (to learn about local cleanup events, visit our events calendar here, halfway down the page). This is what motivated people the most, the realization that they could take action, in a way that isn’t going to be disruptive to their lives.
Aside from the educational moments and inspiring conversations about real people making real change, there were also free boat rides, delicious crab cakes and even a jet pack demonstration! It was the ideal balance of fun and education. So if you didn’t make it this year, be sure to come out for the next Bay Day and help save the Bay, every day!
In the early 1900s, Joyce Kilmer wrote in a now famous poem about trees, “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.” California faces a bit of a tree crisis now as more than 100 million trees in its forests have died in recent years. What’s the cause of this massive tree mortality? Scientists from the U.S. Forest Service say it’s likely from back-to-back years of severe drought. Now with all the rain after this long period of drought, some trees are at risk to toppling over, including the ancient Pioneer Cabin Tree, in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Trees are very important to our environment. Aside from providing oxygen we all need to breathe, and storing massive amounts of carbon in roots, branches and leaves, trees also help mitigate flooding, purify water and stabilize soils. You may not think “stormwater management” when you see a tree, but in fact trees are some of our best tools for reducing the impacts of heavy rain events and limiting water pollution in our streets and waterways.
When rain falls on impervious surfaces, like buildings, roads and parking lots, it becomes stormwater runoff, which can be a serious water pollution problem when it mixes with whatever is on those surfaces and flows directly into nearby streams, the Bay or Ocean. All kinds of harmful pollutants can end up downstream:
Oil, grease and automotive coolants
Soaps from car washing
Garden and lawn fertilizers and pesticides
Bacteria from pet waste
Chemicals from accidental spills or leaky storage containers
When rainwater falls on trees instead of impervious surfaces, it slows down, trickles off leaves and branches and soaks into soils and roots. In addition to reducing flooding by capturing rainwater and slowing down the rate of stormwater, trees and their roots can also clean-up polluted runoff before it gets into our local waters.
Depending on the size and species of a tree, as much as 100 gallons of water can be captured. Experts say this can mean reducing stormwater runoff by two to seven percent1. Additionally, urban areas designed with natural landscapes and trees that filter water can cut back on costly capital expenditures that might otherwise be needed to expand the existing infrastructure to manage stormwater.
Through drought and floods, Californians have come to understand how important water is for our state. It is time we acknowledge the role trees and soil play in balancing our environment and water supply.
