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Rocky River Watershed Council |
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The Rocky River Watershed Council is recognized as a Public Charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Rocky River Watershed Council, Inc. 6100 West Canal Rd. Valley View, OH 44125 |
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How can I make a difference for the Rocky River?
The Rocky River and its watershed anchor the Emerald Necklace and comprise an amazing resource for Northeast Ohio. But, as the above profile of Abram Creek makes brutally clear, there are many obstacles that must be overcome if we are going to succeed in its preservation and restoration. Just thinking about a handful of the problems we face — combined sewer overflows, failing septic systems, lost riparian vegetation, stream channelization, polluted storm water runoff, eroding stream banks, invasive species, and even atmospheric deposition of mercury and nitrogen — is enough to make your head spin. These are big problems, and we often look to equally large projects, such as stream restoration and riparian land acquisition, for solutions. But as individuals we really do want to be good watershed stewards, too. Where can we start, and how can we hope to make even a small difference in the face of these larger issues? Here are a few suggestions... 1. Educate Yourself. Where are your local streams? How healthy are they? What are the main issues in your corner of the watershed? The Rocky River Watershed Action Plan is a good place to start. You can find it here. 2. Explore Your Local Rivers and Streams. Aside from depending on it for drinking water or your livelihood, nothing builds appreciation for a river like getting up close and personal with it. Wade it. Fish it. Canoe it. Skip rocks in it. Picnic on its banks. Then share it with your friends and family, especially your kids. Just be sure not to trespass. 3. Implement Watershed-Friendly Practices around Your Home. Non-point source pollution is often referred to as “death by a thousand cuts” because it is generated by diffuse, usually low intensity sources spread out over the landscape. Just like a solitary cut on your leg is not life-threatening, no single one of these sources by itself leads to water quality problems, but their cumulative effects are more than enough to degrade our rivers and streams. Each of us has an opportunity to apply our own personal “band-aid” to one of those thousand cuts by doing our part and making changes to how we manage our lawns and the storm water we generate. Testing our soil fertility to ensure that we don’t over-fertilize our lawns and gardens; installing rain gardens and rain barrels to reduce the amount of storm water that flows off our rooftops, driveways and lawns when it rains; properly disposing of household hazardous wastes; picking up after our pets; and having our septic tanks pumped on a routine basis are all good places to start. Then multiply your efforts by spreading the word to your neighbors. 4. Join the Rocky River Watershed Council. The RRWC and its partners work hard to protect and restore the Rocky River Watershed. Your membership and contributions directly support these efforts, and your participation in the RRWC’s various activities further enhances the RRWC’s capacity to improve the health of the Rocky River and its tributaries. And finally, remember that watershed stewardship does, in fact, start with you. To borrow a phrase from Smoky the Bear: Only you can prevent non-point source pollution! |