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Photo by Original design produced by the Washington State Dept. of Ecology, King County, and the cities of Seattle and Tacoma.
Informing the public about issues affecting the health of the Estuary—and about our individual and collective impacts on that health—is an ongoing challenge. Despite a groundswell of environmental activism, many people still do not understand how our creeks connect to the Bay and the Estuary, what a watershed is, or which watershed they live in. Neither do they understand how our stormwater system works or how urban runoff pollutes the Estuary and impacts its aquatic life and wildlife. While more people are beginning to understand that driving contributes greenhouse gases to the atmosphere—and to climate change—few seem to realize that it has huge impacts on water quality too.
And although native and drought-tolerant gardens are becoming more popular, there is an ongoing need to educate people about how what they do in their own backyards and in and around their homes—and that spraying pesticides, using toxic cleaners, washing cars in the driveway or street, armoring creek banks with concrete or rock, planting invasive non-native species, planting and fertilizing lawns, or even using plastic bags—can harm the Estuary.
Because water has been such a cheap commodity for so long in California, many people are still not motivated to conserve as much as possible in their homes and gardens. The more water diverted for urban household and landscaping uses, the less water there is in our rivers, streams, and the Estuary. The need to educate homeowners about conservation and water quality improvement measures such as installing rain barrels and rain gardens and replacing lawns with native and/or drought-tolerant plants is greater than ever, as is the need to help people understand the connection between their own actions and the health of the Estuary.
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