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Department of Ecology News Release - May 12, 2008
08-123
OLYMPIA – The newest publication in the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) Environmental Education Guide series explains how the health of people is linked to the health of the watersheds where they live.
Watersheds are interconnected systems of land, water, air, and the life they support. Defined by natural boundaries that drain into a stream and its tributaries, the watershed is the logical unit for environmental management. Every Washington resident lives in a watershed, and all have a stake in improving watershed health.
The 12-page guide, “Working for Washington’s future: Healthy Watersheds, Healthy People,” describes what watersheds do, explains how people are affecting them, and highlights watershed restoration projects around the state. The brochure serves as a guide for things each of us can do to improve our watershed environment.
“The good news is that little things matter: the actions you take affect your watershed, no matter how small. You can start improving the health of your watershed today by doing something as simple as turning off the water when you brush your teeth, or replacing part of your lawn with beautiful native plants that use less water,” said Evan Sheffels, Ecology Director Jay Manning’s special assistant for water policy.
The watershed guide highlights some of the projects around the state that have improved watersheds.
For example:
Friends of the Trail (FOT) was founded in 1996 by a North Bend couple concerned about illegal dumping. Twelve years later, through the efforts of some 2,000 volunteers, FOT has cleaned up more than 1,700 tons of trash – and that’s not counting all the appliances, abandoned vehicles and tires they’ve removed— much of it from the area’s streams.
Alpowa Creek, in southeastern Washington, is healthier today thanks to the collaborative efforts of local landowners, the Pomeroy Conservation District and Natural Resource Conservation Service. Before 2001, erosion, flooding and high bacteria threatened the health of the creek. Today streamside habitat and water quality has been restored.
Experts within Ecology and throughout Washington state contributed to the brochure. It is the third in Ecology’s Environment Education Guide series. This series looks at different ecosystems and issues, with an emphasis on how people affect the environment. The first in the series is on stormwater pollution, illustrating the problems associated with stormwater and what can be done to reduce the problem. The second described the Lower Duwamish River urban waters pollution cleanup and prevention project.
“Working for Washington’s future: Healthy Watersheds, Healthy People” is available on-line at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0801018.html .
Media Contact: Dan Partridge, Department of Ecology, 360-407-7139 (dpar461@ecy.wa.gov)
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
