Friday, March 28, 2014

Bellingham Bay in Distress; Neighborhood Project Works Toward Solution



by Wendy Steffensen
COURTESY TO THE BELLINGHAM HERALD, March 14, 2014

The rains have returned to Whatcom County, signaling the warmer weather of spring and reminding us of what it takes to makes our region so lush and green – water. We can hear it tapping at our windows and rushing in our rivers, lapping on Lake Whatcom’s shores and trickling into storm drains. The cloudbursts of spring bring us more than flowers and seedlings; as the water falls on our roofs, lawns, and streets it carries with it all the chemicals and grime on those surfaces. Metals are eroded from our roofs, pesticides collected from our lawns, and oil and brake pad dust washed away from our streets.

For decades, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities has worked to protect the Salish Sea from the harmful contaminants in our stormwater with our North Sound Baykeeper program. The Baykeeper Team is charged with protecting and enhancing the marine and nearshore habitats of the northern Puget Sound region. At the end of last year, the Baykeeper Team conducted sampling at stormwater outfalls that drain to Bellingham Bay. Unfortunately, we have discovered high levels of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs) in our stormwater.

Why is this important? Metals, like copper and zinc, are common in stormwater but are toxic to marine life.  According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, copper is toxic to many of the organisms in the fish food web and disrupts salmon sensory systems. PAHs, also common in stormwater, are complex organic pollutants that are found in fossil fuels, and are formed by incomplete combustion of wood, coal, and diesel fuels. They are carcinogenic to laboratory animals and acutely toxic to some fish species. 

The content of our stormwater is not unique to Bellingham. Urban areas throughout the developed world struggle with similar issues. The difference for Bellingham is that our stormwater is discharged to Bellingham Bay. As we learned in January’s Bellingham Herald article, “Decline in Bellingham Bay marine life eludes quick diagnosis”, a recent study of the health of our bay showed that this water body is in serious trouble. The causes are still under speculation but the metals and PAHs in our stormwater may be contributing to a decline in diversity of species and contamination in sediment.

We all agree that the health of Bellingham Bay is important to our community. That’s why RE Sources is launching the Neighborhood Clean Water Project to coordinate the neighbors of Lower Whatcom Creek and Squalicum Harbor watersheds to identify the sources of pollution and find ways to remove contaminants from our stormwater. The kick-off meeting for this project will be Tuesday, March 18 from 6:30-8 pm at RE Sources’ Sustainable Living Center above the RE Store. This meeting is free and open to the public.

During the project’s first year, we will focus on data collected from the C Street and Broadway Street outfalls on Whatcom and I & J Waterways, respectively. These outfalls drain portions of the Lettered Streets, Columbia, and Cornwall Park neighborhoods.  RE Sources will work with watershed neighbors to identify the sources of this pollution and, where possible, attempt to fix some of these sources.  We also hope to expand this project to include other watersheds in the years to come.

Over the years, we have learned that the more people know about a water quality problem, the more empowered they are to fix it. We developed this project because there are things we can do as a community to improve water quality and we know there are people in Bellingham that want to help. We can’t control the rain falling from the sky, but we can make the stormwater it creates cleaner before it reaches Bellingham Bay.

For more information, visit www.re-sources.org/programs/baykeeper.

              
-----------

Wendy Steffensen is RE Sources’ North Sound Baykeeper, responsible for protecting and enhancing the marine and nearshore habitats of the northern Puget Sound region.  North Sound Baykeeper is a program of RE Sources for Sustainable Communities. RE Sources promotes sustainable communities and protects the health of northwestern Washington’s people and ecosystems through application of science, education, advocacy, and action.


75 comments:

  1. Its very useful if every one should follow this. piracetamdosage

    ReplyDelete
  2. Simply super comments are posted here upampanama..

    ReplyDelete

  3. very useful to implement in Life. spmbvip

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice post. Every one should implement this one islandersatschool

    ReplyDelete
  5. The information which you people are given are really superb..!!! RohjuH

    ReplyDelete
  6. Technically very well above you said. webonduty

    ReplyDelete
  7. All the words in simple way every one should understand easily. SecularSegment

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you for this tutorial.its really informative tutorial cartografia-gps

    ReplyDelete
  9. Keep posting the articles,useful to every one. MooseNoose

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice post all information are useful to real life. oofeed

    ReplyDelete
  11. its really informative tutorial. Thank you for this tutorial ponteblue

    ReplyDelete
  12. The information which you people are given are really superb..!!! lu-cioles

    ReplyDelete
  13. The information which you people are given are really superb biteb..!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Simply super comments are posted here..
    knoxdemocrats

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am so excited while I read all the comments m-cheer

    ReplyDelete
  16. The information which you people are said here are really good radiocaceres..!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a good suggestion posted by the peoples. moabhorseshow

    ReplyDelete
  18. Good stuff comments here... Nice to read it chiisainatsu

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a good suggestion posted by the peoples.
    prescottmurals

    ReplyDelete
  20. Simply super comments are posted here combo2x1..

    ReplyDelete
  21. Information's are more innovative and nice to read it.
    carfreeasia

    ReplyDelete
  22. Nice post. Every one should implement this one. miamiurbanthinktank

    ReplyDelete
  23. The information which you people are given are really superb..!!!
    twizonebr

    ReplyDelete
  24. its really informative tutorial. Thank you for this tutorial . supernovadogworks

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a good suggestion posted by the peoples. yasamwebtasarim

    ReplyDelete
  26. Information's are more innovative and nice to read it.
    kssle

    ReplyDelete
  27. Information's are more innovative and nice to read it. docudentusa

    ReplyDelete
  28. What a good suggestion posted by the peoples. bayiv

    ReplyDelete

  29. Thank you for this tutorial.its really informative tutorial. ArchSport


    ReplyDelete
  30. its really informative tutorial. Thank you for this tutorial .
    intercarproject

    ReplyDelete
  31. its really informative tutorial. Thank you for this tutorial . wunderkammerpress

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thank you for this guidance.its really informative for all.. c4modeloflearning

    ReplyDelete
  33. Articles are very nice…Nice comments too.
    getjoomlanow

    ReplyDelete

  34. Simply super comments are posted here. bkrph

    ReplyDelete
  35. Information's are more innovative and nice to read it. engineers4kidsusa

    ReplyDelete
  36. its really informative tutorial. Thank you for this tutorial
    chinamrmp

    ReplyDelete
  37. Its very useful if every one should follow this.
    identdesign

    ReplyDelete
  38. all the words in simple way every one should understand easily.
    lzshicai

    ReplyDelete
  39. Information's are more innovative and nice to read it
    perutradenet

    ReplyDelete
  40. Keep posting the articles,useful to every one.
    heydiddlediddle

    ReplyDelete
  41. Not only to read need to spreed every one.
    knoxdemocrats

    ReplyDelete
  42. Simply super comments are posted here..
    honeinu

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thank you for this guidance.its really informative for all
    m-cheer

    ReplyDelete
  44. What a good suggestion posted by the peoples
    chiisainatsu

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thanks for the comments which the peoples are give here
    combo2x1

    ReplyDelete
  46. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  47. its really informative tutorial. Thank you for this tutorial beekmanhistory

    ReplyDelete
  48. all the words in simple way every one should understand easily.
    teleconnectga

    ReplyDelete
  49. رش مبيدات بالمدينة المنورة رش مبيدات بالمدينة المنورة
    رش مبيدات بالدمام رش مبيدات بالدمام
    مكافحة الحمام بالمدينة المنورة مكافحة الحمام بالمدينة المنورة

    ReplyDelete
  50. Information's are more innovative and nice to read it. Assessment help is a term that can be used to describe a variety of services that are available to students who need assistance with their assessments. These services can include tutoring, mentoring, and writing assistance. There are many reasons why a student might need assessment help. Some students may struggle with a particular subject or topic. Others may have difficulty managing their time or staying organized. Still others may simply need someone to proofread their work and provide feedback. Whatever the reason, assessment help can be a valuable resource for students who are struggling to succeed in their studies. There are many different types of assessment help available, so students can find the type of help that best meets their needs. One type of assessment help is tutoring. Tutoring is one-on-one instruction that is provided by a qualified tutor. Tutors can help students with a variety of academic subjects, including math, science, English, and history. They can also help students with specific skills, such as writing or test-taking. Another type of assessment help is mentoring. Mentoring is a relationship between a student and an experienced professional. The mentor can provide guidance and support to the student, and can help them to develop the skills they need to succeed in their studies and career.

    ReplyDelete