In December 2007, Beth Mullin, the first executive director of Friends of Rock Creek's Environment (FORCE), spoke about the effects of storm water runoff on the environment. Rain water flows from impervious surfaces-rooftops, patios, sidewalks, alleys, and streets, into storm drains that are connected to underground pipes that feed directly to local streams. Storm water contains trash, pet waste, cleaning products, fluids from cars, pesticides, lawn fertilizers, and other pollutants that are carried into Rock Creek and on to the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. In particular, lawn fertilizers contain phosphorus and nitrogen, two chemicals that promote algae blooms that create dead zones in the Bay.
She suggested ways that residents can help reduce the amount and the intensity of the storm water runoff. One is direct downspout flows away from houses to mulched beds, rather than to sidewalks or streets, which allows rain to trickle slowly through the soil. Downspouts can be connected to rain barrels and the water used to water plants. Tree canopies slow down rainfall; paved areas or grass can be replaced with mulched beds planted with native plants, creating beautiful gardens that help absorb and filter rain water.
FORCE is a local nonprofit organization working to promote a healthy and sustainable Rock Creek watershed through conservation, education, and restoration. For more information, visit friendsofrockcreek.org.
Steve Saari, a Watershed Protection Specialist in the D.C. Department of the Environment, said that many of the creeks, streams, and rivers in D.C. are polluted. Few swim or wade in Rock Creek. The causes include pollutant spills, leaking sewer lines, legacy pollutants from our industrial past, illegal dumping, and illicit sewer line connections. Saari said that storm water pollution gets hot, fast, and dirty: thermal pollution from roadways and rooftops, because they are almost always warmer than the precipitation that falls on them; the water flows off the land rapidly rather than soaking in the way it naturally would. This causes stream bank erosion keeps our groundwater from being recharged; and the runoff is full of pollutants including oil, grease, salt, nutrients, bacteria, chemicals, and sediment it picks up on its way to our local streams. About 40 percent of the city is covered by pavement or rooftops; most of this land was developed before modern storm water pollution controls. The District now has stringent pollution controls for new development and redevelopment. The city is working on retrofitting public lands, but little has been done to address storm water pollution from individual residences. D.C. would like residents to trap and infiltrate storm water on their property.
Next year, the city will begin an incentive program that will encourage homeowner to install rain gardens - specially designed areas where rainwater is directed to infiltrate slowly into the soil. These gardens are functional, easy to maintain, and beautiful. The District also would like to see more shade trees planted. Small trees do little to reduce runoff. Large shade trees hold rain and reduce runoff. They also increase property values, decrease energy costs, offer shade, provide habitat for wildlife, and improve air quality.
For more information about the club, message Barbara Baldwin at bbaldwing@yahoo.com --