Page 21 - Sonoma County Gazette 12-18.indd

RAIN-READY cont’d from page 20
Another area of major concern for the next several years is the number of vacant lots or those under construction in burn areas. Sediment is a pollutant in our creeks as much as the other examples listed in
this article. The property owners
and contractors are responsible to protect their lots to prevent polluted discharges to the street gutter and storm drain systems, to keep clean rain water clean.
Some common examples include meshed
straw waddles around a lots perimeter, a
contained wash-out area for concrete or
paint, plastic sheets over stockpiles, and
sweeping the street frontage daily help to
keep sediment from reaching the storm
drain. These protection measures, commonly
called Best Management Practices (BMPs), are temporary and need to be maintained frequently to work properly, especially during frequent winter rains.
Erosion Control information: • Santa Rosa: srcity.org/2675/Rebuilding
• Sonoma County: sonomacounty.ca.gov/PRMD/Eng-and-Constr/ Grading-and-Storm-Water/
• Sonoma County Recovers: sonomacountyrecovers.org/rain-ready/ • Sonoma Resource Conservation District: sonomarcd.org/
resources/fire-recovery/
• Mendocino County: mendocinocounty.org/government/planning- building-services/stormwater
• UCCE Mendocino County: cemendocino.ucanr.edu/UC_FIRE_LINKS/
We are all a part of neighborhoods, community, and the incredible environment we call home. One last way to support our home is to:
Report Spills or polluted discharges to the storm drain system (streets, inlets, pipes, ditches, and creeks). Report hazardous or unknown spills to 911. Report non-hazardous spills based on where you are in the watershed.
• Cloverdale: 707.894.2526
• Cotati: 707.665.3605
• Healdsburg: 707.431.7000
• Rohnert Park: 707.588.3300/after-hours 707.584.2600 • Santa Rosa: 707.543.3800/after-hours 707.543-3805
• Sebastopol: 707.823.5331/after-hours 707.829.4400 • Unincorporated County of Sonoma: 707.565.1900
• Windsor: 707.838.1006/after-hours 707.838.1000
• Ukiah : 707.463.6288
• Unincorporated Mendocino County: 707.234.6679
This article was authored by Forest L. Frasieur, of Santa Rosa Water, on behalf of RRWA. RRWA (www.rrwatershed.org) is an association of local public agencies in the Russian River Watershed that have come together to coordinate regional programs for clean water, habitat restoration, and watershed enhancement.
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