Full Text
2011 Public Education and Outreach Summary Car washing • Fish-Friendly Car Wash Kits These kits offer not only a safe way for citizens and local businesses and groups to wash their vehicles, hold fund-raising events, and clean their facilities, they also present a great educational opportunity to discuss stormwater runoff pollution to the borrowing- groups as well as those who attend their events. In 2011, the City’s three car was kits were checked out as follows: 1. Local Church hosting fund-raising event (05/20/2011 & 06/18/2011) 2. Local business performing power-washing activities around dumpster area not equipped with strip drain (05/24/2011) 3. Puyallup Police Explorers (08/20/2011) • Distributed brochures about BMPs (Rain Garden Events 05/21/2011, 07/23/2011) • Distributed 100 car wash vouchers (Rain Garden Events 05/21/2011, 07/23/2011, 09/10/2011) • Demonstrated set up and operation of kit at Rain Garden Event (07/23/2011) Rain Gardens • Used Ecology Capacity Grant funding to achieve the following accomplishments as part of Puyallup’s Rain Garden Program: 1. 6th Avenue SW Installations (Clarks Creek basin) • 8 property owners • Installed 2 interpretive signs • Demonstrated porous asphalt • Association of Washington Cities produced video and article • Energy Audits performed by Evolution Green Power • Received various donations from the community (t-shirts, materials, etc) • 48 volunteers at the installation 2. 7th Ave NW/Wilson Drive Installations • 6 property owners, 6 rain gardens, 2 rain barrels • Installed 2 interpretive signs (1 ea. Rain garden, rain barrel) • Demonstrated porous asphalt • Received various donations from the community (2 rain barrels, dumpsters, compost) • Marked 80 catch basins • 54 volunteers at the installation 3. 5th Ave SW/18th Street SW Installations • 5 property owners, 5 rain gardens, 5 rain barrels, 1 riparian planting • Installed 2 interpretive signs (1 ea. Riparian planting, rain garden) • Demonstrated porous asphalt • Received various donations from the community (1 rain barrel, landscaper labor, planting table) ---PAGE BREAK--- • 45 volunteers at the installation, many more turned out to enjoy the event • Ciscoe Morris radio broadcast from the event and reached out to the Western Washington population as a whole including interviews with Mark Palmer, resident Georga Prossick, Kevin from Revolution Green Power and Ken Borba about rain barrels Silver Creek Throughout the Pierce Stream Team, in coordination with the City, coordinates several volunteer events at Silver Creek in Puyallup. Included at this restoration project site is a soft walking trail, interpretive signs, benches, and opportunities for citizen to connect with nature. In 2011, 5 events were held, with a total of 82 volunteers contributing. Altogether these efforts resulted in the following achievements at and around Silver Creek: • 04/30/2011 Planting event o 14 volunteers o 75 evergreen trees planted • 06/05/2011 o 2 volunteers o 100 feet of trail • 06/11/2011 o 17 volunteers o 60 shrubs planted o 300 feet of trail • 09/10/2011 Planting and clearing event, coordinated as an Eagle Scout Project o 9 volunteers o Paths cleared for future trail building • 10/01/2011 Trail building, planting, and clearing event; included Eagle Scout Project coordination o 40 volunteers comprised of three community groups: Eagle Scout, REI employees, and the Lions Club o 400 cedars planted o 81 shrubs and plants o 400 feet of trail o Bench presented to City for installation along southern portion of trail At every event volunteers were given presentations on the importance of riparian zones, the environmental importance in restoring these areas, and ways to prevent stormwater pollution and help improve water quality in our streams, lakes, and rivers. Elodea Pilot Project In July 2011, the City implemented a pilot project located in Clarks Creek, beginning at the 7th Ave SW bridge, extending 650 south within the creek. The goal of the pilot project was to evaluate the effective removal rate by hand-pulling elodea and other invasive weeds. The removal rate and effectiveness will be compared to the current manual cutting operation that the City has undertaken in cooperation with Pierce County since 1991. ---PAGE BREAK--- Volunteers were recruited to enter the creek and perform the hand/tool pulling of the weeds. Organized into groups of 2-6 volunteers, and done in 3-4 hour shifts, the project was completed in 5 days of in-stream work. In all, 25 volunteers turned out through the project week to help pull the weeds. Stormdrain Markings In 2011, the city of Puyallup and Pierce Stream Team partnered to place curb markers next to public storm drains within the city limits of Puyallup. The city of Puyallup purchased markers with the “Only Rain down the Drain” message to educate citizens of the impacts stormwater has on our local streams and water quality. Stream Team coordinated two weekend events and one group of volunteers to place the markers next to public storm drains. The city and Stream Team agreed on a goal to mark 1,000 storm drains in 2011. With three marking events between June and September, Stream Team completed the marking of 742 storm drains in targeted areas within the city. One factor to consider in the quantity of curb markers being placed is weather, as volunteers can only complete this activity when the pavement is dry. Date Location Volunteer Group # Volunteers # Marked June Clarks Cr. Park Neighborhood Stream Team 4 60 July Karshner Elem Neighborhood Stream Team/ Rain Garden install volunteers 20 80 September Bradely Creek Neighborhood Eagle Scout 40 602 64 742 Stream Team tracked the progress of the curb marking using GIS, which now includes identification of 2010 and 2011-marked catch basins. Looking forward, the city of Puyallup will purchase more curb markers for the 2012 season and Stream Team will coordinate volunteer efforts to complete their marking goal. Puyallup Fair The Stormwater Department staffed the Pierce Stream Team booth at the Puyallup Fair on September 23, 2011. Staff provided information to fair-goers on stormwater pollution prevention, LID BMPs such as rain gardens, rain barrels, and permeable pavements, and answered questions and concerns on how citizens can do their part to protect and improve water quality in our local streams and river. Emergency Preparedness Fair City of Puyallup coordinated and hosted an Emergency Preparedness Fair November 5, 2011 at the Puyallup Fair Grounds. Over 1,000 people attended the fair to learn about preparedness measures including information from the stormwater department. Information presented included tips on preventative measures at home in regards to flooding, stormwater pollution sources and ways to prevent it, permeable pavements, rain gardens, Illicit Discharge, Detection, and Elimination (IDDE), and fish-friendly car washing. ---PAGE BREAK--- Media Coverage • KIRO 7 Radio • Ciscoe Morris was contracted to broadcast live from the September 10, 2011 Rain Garden Installation on 5th Ave/18th Street SW • Tacoma News Tribune / Puyallup Herald Articles • “Partnership at Clarks Creek gets national look” (May 11, 2011) • Editorial – “More Rain Gardens Should be Welcome in Puyallup” (February 16, 2011) • “Puyallup Rain Gardens Garner Award” (May 17, 2011) • “Rain Garden Beauty” (September 14, 2011) • “Karshner fifth graders install rain gardens” (September 28, 2011) • Living Puyallup, website ((June 23, 2011) – “Do You Want Your Own Puyallup Rain Garden?” • Sightline – Northwest Magazine • “Curbing Stormwater and Creating Communities - The Case for Low-Impact Development” (March 2011) • San Francisco Estuary Partnership (February 2011) - “Permeable in Puyallup” • This Old House Article (September 2011) - “One Week, Six Rain Gardens” • South Sound Magazine (October 2011) – “Evolving Northwest Landscapes, Rain Gardens Save Money, Time, and the Environment” • City Vision Magazine (September/October 2011) – “Bringin’ in the Rain, Puyallup Goes Hyperlocal to Manage Runoff” Total number of events: 29