Everyone is responsible for clean water!

You’ve heard it before, but did you know there’s a real reason for doing this? More than just courtesy to your neighbors and to save the soles of your shoes.

Pet waste contains bacteria and viruses that contaminate waterways and make living things unhealthy. Pet waste also has nutrients that promote excessive algae growth which, when dead, robs the water of dissolved oxygen that fish and other aquatic dwelling creatures need to survive.

Bacteria and viruses

Just like fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals in your yard, pet waste is also washed down the storm drain during rainfall events.

Each year Falls Lake has to shut down beaches due to high levels of fecal coliform. Straight from your pooch and into your water supply.

Protect your water sources and pick up after your pet!

Clean Water Begins with You and Me!

Permeable Pavement allows water to percolate through into the ground, rather than just run off along the surface.

Find out more about stormwater runoff, check out the links!

http://nccleanwater.org/stormwater/stormwater101/runoff.php

http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/info/permeable-pavement/background.html

It's easy to see how harmful chemicals, debris and other substances enter our water supply. This storm drain leads straight to the nearest stream or creek.

Williamston High School in Martin County, NC installed permeable pavement in their parking lot in 2008.

It’s been quite a while since the blog has been updated. I’m Bre, the new intern at UNRBA, and I’ll be keeping the blog updated as regularly as possible.

We have an exciting event coming up over the July 4th holiday weekend! The Festival for the Eno! It’s a 3 day long festival with musical, dance, and folk performances, vendors, local artisans selling their wares, and, of course, our booth! We will be in our usual location among the booths this year, and we look forward to seeing many of you there!

That being said….we have a need for volunteers! Each year we have approximately 15-20 volunteers who join us for a few hours on one of the days (or more!) of the event. You’ll be interacting with festival-goers and handing out relevant information in pamphlets and brochures that we’ll have at the booth. Don’t worry, we’ll be there if there are any technical questions you don’t feel comfortable answering!

The Festival for the Eno is July 2-4th this year, that’s a Saturday-Monday. We have volunteer shifts open each day; morning, afternoon, or evening. Also, as a volunteer you get free festival admission! For more information about the festival in general please visit the festival website at Eno River Fest

If you’re interested please send me an e-mail at blong@tjcog.org. Or give me a call at 919-558-2731, leave a message for Bre if we’re unable to answer your call.

Thank you for your continued support and have a great day!

Laura Webb Smith talked about the City of Durham’s Adopt-a-Stream program and how to get involved and then Mitch Woodward of the NC Cooperative Extension gave another great demonstration on how to plant trees.

This project has been funded by a grant from the Home Depot Foundation via the Center for Watershed Protection.  A huge thank you to them for making these projects possible and for providing the UNRBA with a unique opportunity to reach out to the public and encourage the use of riparian buffers as a tool for protecting water quality in the Upper Neuse River Basin.  Visit the Clean Water Education Partnership’s website for more information on planting trees, selecting trees, local nurseries that sell native vegetation, how to care for your trees once they’re planted, and the benefits of riparian vegetation on water quality and aquatic habitat.  Remember that keeping and planting native shrubs and trees along your streams and creeks helps keep water clean for swimming, drinking, and fishing, and maintains a safe environment for the wildlife that depend on these systems for survival!  Join your neighbors in planting trees and do your part to help keep our water clean!

Mitch Woodward of the NC Cooperative Extension gave a great demonstration (with the help of an innocent bystander! and despite some, let’s call them…”technical glitches” ) on how to plant trees (see below) and Abbie talked about the City of Durham’s Adopt-a-Stream program.

We have another planting on the 13th of December and still need volunteers!  Give Heather Saunders a call at (919) 558-9319 or email her at hsaunders@tjcog.org if you’d like to volunteer.

This project has been funded by a grant from the Home Depot Foundation via the Center for Watershed Protection.  A huge thank you to them for making these projects possible and for providing the UNRBA with a unique opportunity to reach out to the public and encourage the use of riparian buffers as a tool for protecting water quality in the Upper Neuse River Basin.  Visit the Clean Water Education Partnership’s website for more information on planting trees, selecting trees, local nurseries that sell native vegetation, how to care for your trees once they’re planted, and the benefits of riparian vegetation on water quality and aquatic habitat.  Remember that keeping and planting native shrubs and trees along your streams and creeks helps keep water clean for swimming, drinking, and fishing, and maintains a safe environment for the wildlife that depend on these systems for survival!  Join your neighbors in planting trees and do your part to help keep our water clean!