As the winter rains continue to fall, and hopefully bring relief to our watershed communities mired in a historic drought, the rainwater will begin to soak into our gardens and fields and run down the streets into our storm drains, which are not linked to the sewer. Storm drains are specifically designed to capture excess […]
Have you ever wanted a fresh start? A new lease on life? A way to leave the past behind and breathe in the air of new beginnings? We’ve all heard the saying “If these walls could talk”. A tried-and-true expression meant to exercise our imagination on how inanimate objects such as a wall have been […]
This year is different. Historically low rainfall following a previously dry water year have tipped the balance of stored water within Lake Mendocino and water demand throughout the Russian River watershed. As water users in the upper Russian River continue to cut water usage, you may be wondering how we got here and how do […]
Ukiah, the city I work in, recently renovated the entire downtown area with new sidewalks, paved road, and all new trees with planter areas. In full transparency, I was involved in aspects of the planning of this project but not the design. When a co-worker of mine made a criticism regarding the new planters at […]
Neonics is a common pesticide that is harmful to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. So, what are neonicotinoids? Neonicotinoids (neonics for short) are one of the most commonly used pesticides for gardens. They are effective against harmful pests, easily applied and relatively safe for humans. However, what you may not know is that they are […]
September marks several dedicated efforts throughout California that signify the importance of clean water and promote cleanups of local waterways. Pollution Prevention Week, Creek Week, and California’s Coastal Cleanup Day all coincide in the third week of September to encourage public participation in keeping our water free of harmful pollutants, with a primary focus on […]
How do you dispose of your old prescription and over the counter medicines? Not only are there environmental concerns associated with throwing medicine in the trash and flushing them down the toilet, letting them accumulate at home creates opportunities for those medicines to get into the wrong hands. For these reasons, the Russian River Watershed […]
The Spring and Summer seasons bring us a display of colors and beautiful landscapes. Similarly, these months of hot weather invite us to make improvements in the house, to work in the garden, or in the case of many Do-It-Yourself Oil Changers and auto enthusiast, this is the perfect time to change the oil and […]
On average, each Californian uses about 85 gallons of water every day, but it depends on the season. In winter months, it’s as low as 60 gallons per day and in summer months, it’s as high as 110 gallons per day. That’s between 12 and 22 of those 5‑gallon water cooler jugs, every day for […]
Clean Car, Dirty Creek Common sense tells us that you can’t get something clean without getting something else dirty. Depending on how you wash your car, you may be trading a clean car for a dirty creek. The dirt, oil and grease that flows off your fresh clean car often flows into the street, storm […]
