CWC staff and volunteers are eagerly checking the weather forecast to see if the First Flush – the first significant rainfall of the season – is on its way. We’re keeping an eye on a storm that looks like it may arrive early on Friday morning October 21st.
Volunteers are ready. As soon as the storm arrives, they’ll suit up and head into the storm to collect water samples. The samples will contain pollutants that have been building up all summer long and with the rain, have now washed into local storm drains, rivers and the Monterey Bay. CWC will send those samples out for lab analysis and we’ll examine what pollutants we’re seeing in our watersheds. We then use that information all year long to inform local municipalities and to teach residents best practices to eliminate them.
Here are a few things you can do to prepare for the storm:
- Pick up after pets to prevent bacteria from entering local waterways.
- Keep the area in front of your home clean – pick up and dispose of trash and debris in the gutter.
- Recycle used motor oil and oil filters.
- Use your green waste container for grass and yard clippings.
- Do not apply pesticides or fertilizers to your lawn before it rains.
Thanks for doing your part for healthy watersheds!