Environmental Impact and Solutions: A Focus on Local Water Bodies
Keeping our Streams Clean
Truro Talk
Annika Miller
Life Scout, BSA Troop 1526
Two kinds of Pollution
Point Source Pollution
●
Any single identifiable source of pollution
from which pollutants are discharged, such
as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack
Non-Point source Pollution
●
Caused when rainfall moves over and
through the ground, picking up and
carrying natural sediments and human-
made
pollutants
, and deposits them into
lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and
ground waters
●
The leading cause of water quality
deterioration in the Chesapeake Bay
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/
www.epa.gov
What is the Problem?
Why is it important to be careful what enters our creek?
Local Examples
Chesapeake Bay
●
Our Nation’s largest estuary
●
We live within the watershed (our creek
ultimately flows into the bay)
●
The health of the bay is graded every year
●
In 2020, the bay received a C grade, an
improvement from the C- received in 2019
●
The grade was made up of 23 reporting
regions
●
The stewardship index looks at actions
residents are taking to support the bay,
volunteerism, and civic engagement. The
report said there was room to grow in this
area, which scored a D-plus grade.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/maryland/articles/2021-
06-22/chesapeake-bay-health-edges-up-to-c-grade-in-report-card
Lake Accotink
Dredging
●
Lake Accotink is a local recreational
lake that is used by many Fairfax
County Citizens
●
Overtime, sediment from stormwater
runoff and other locations will deposit
in the lake bed. This reduced the water
depth as well as the holding capacity of
the lake
●
Has had to be dredged multiple times
in the last decades (2008)
●
Analysis in 2016 estimated that the
lake is now filling up again at about
23,000 cubic yards of sediment per year
●
Dredging - removing underwater
sediment (soil material)
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/stormwat
er/plans-projects/lake-accotink-dredging-ac89-0009
Project Overview
●
Dredge estimated 350,000 cubic
yards of sediment to restore the
lake to an average 8 ft depth
●
Establish maintenance dredging
program to sustain the lake
●
Dredging cost
$30,500,000
●
Annual Maintenance cost
$2,013,000
●
30-year lifecycle dam repair
$4,700,000
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/stormwat
er/plans-projects/lake-accotink-dredging-ac89-0009
Storm Drain
Pollution
●
Sediment:
Bare soil, sand
●
Nutrients:
Fertilizer, yard debris
●
Toxics:
Pesticides, motor oil, lead-based
paint, salt
●
Pathogens:
Animal or human waste
●
Litter:
Plastic, cigarettes, styrofoam, cans
Runoff Activity
Nutrient Pollution
●
Nutrient
pollution
is the process where too
many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and
phosphorus, are added to bodies of water and
can act like “fertilizer”, causing excessive
growth of algae and low levels of oxygen
dissolved in the water
●
In the process of decay, the oxygen in the water is
used up and this leads to low levels of dissolved
oxygen in the water. This, in turn, can kill fish,
crabs, oysters, and other aquatic animals
Applying fertilizers in the proper amount and at the
right time of year can significantly
reduce
how much
fertilizer reaches water bodies. Also try eco friendly
options and natural substitutes for lawn care
Plant native plants
Keeping animals and their waste out of streams
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/nutpollution.html
Soap
●
Many soaps contain chemicals that harm
fish and degrade water quality
●
When you wash your car in the driveway,
the soap together with the dirt, grime,
grease, and oil washes from your car and
flows into nearby storm drains
●
Some soaps may also contain phosphates,
which can cause excess algae to grow in
local waterways
●
Can be toxic to wildlife
Instead….
●
Use an environmentally friendly soap
●
Wash your car on the lawn or gravel
●
Make sure to dump your bucket in your sink
or allow it to filter through the ground.
Don't dump it down the driveway
https://www2.erie.gov/environment/index.php?q=what-problem-car-washing
Sediment Pollution
●
Sediment is the loose sand, clay, silt and
other soil particles that settle at the
bottom of a body of water
●
The Environmental Protection Agency
lists sediment as the most common
pollutant in rivers, streams, lakes and
reservoirs
●
Sediment pollution causes $16 billion in
environmental damage annually
Ways to prevent it
●
Cover any loose soil
●
Plant native plants
●
Rain gardens
https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/ksmo_sediment.pdf
Community Action
Eagle Project
Storm Drain Labeling
●
Apply decals to storm drains in the Truro
and Wakefield Chapel Woods
communities
●
Lead a diverse group of volunteers from
Troops 1525, 1526, their peers, and
community members
●
The goal of the storm drain markers will
be to discourage the dumping of materials
down storm drains to prevent pollution
and improve water quality
●
Working with NVSWCD
Education
●
A portion of my project also involves
community outreach and education
●
Emails, newsletter, Truro Talk, volunteer
recruitment
Northern Virginia Soil
and Water
Conservation District
NVSWCD
●
Promote soil and water conservation
in Fairfax County and beyond
●
Promote hands-on conservation
●
Provide technical expertise
●
Develop young environmental leaders
●
Prevent pollution, reduce runoff and
protect our streams and rivers.
●
Has the goal of labeling the over
10,000 storm drains in Fairfax County
and educate residents about nonpoint
source pollution
●
Relies on volunteer-led projects to
label
Simple Steps to Take in your Household
●
Grow native plants and use mulch to cover
and protect bare soil from erosion
●
Limit fertilizer use. - Try to compost or bag
yard debris, practice bay-friendly yard care
●
Keep suds from car washing out of the
storm drain – they can be toxic to wildlife
●
Use pesticides only when necessary and
sweep up any excess
●
Dispose of motor oil, lead-based paint, and
pesticides as household hazardous waste –
one gallon of oil can pollute two million
gallons of water!
●
Scoop the poop! Keep bacteria from dog
waste out of waterways
●
Put litter in the recycling or trash
Questions?
Thank You so Much for
Coming!
Explore the environmental challenges faced by local water bodies, such as Lake Accotink, due to pollution sources like non-point and point sources. Discover the importance of maintaining clean streams, with insights on dredging efforts to restore water quality. Learn how community actions can support the health of water ecosystems like the Chesapeake Bay.
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Presentation Transcript
Keeping our Streams Clean Truro Talk Annika Miller Life Scout, BSA Troop 1526
Two kinds of Pollution Non-Point source Pollution Point Source Pollution Caused when rainfall moves over and through the ground, picking up and carrying natural sediments and human- made pollutants, and deposits them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground waters The leading cause of water quality deterioration in the Chesapeake Bay Any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ www.epa.gov
What is the Problem? Why is it important to be careful what enters our creek?
Chesapeake Bay Our Nation s largest estuary We live within the watershed (our creek ultimately flows into the bay) The health of the bay is graded every year In 2020, the bay received a C grade, an improvement from the C- received in 2019 The grade was made up of 23 reporting regions The stewardship index looks at actions residents are taking to support the bay, volunteerism, and civic engagement. The report said there was room to grow in this area, which scored a D-plus grade. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/maryland/articles/2021- 06-22/chesapeake-bay-health-edges-up-to-c-grade-in-report-card
Lake Accotink Dredging Lake Accotink is a local recreational lake that is used by many Fairfax County Citizens Overtime, sediment from stormwater runoff and other locations will deposit in the lake bed. This reduced the water depth as well as the holding capacity of the lake Has had to be dredged multiple times in the last decades (2008) Analysis in 2016 estimated that the lake is now filling up again at about 23,000 cubic yards of sediment per year Dredging - removing underwater sediment (soil material) https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/stormwat er/plans-projects/lake-accotink-dredging-ac89-0009
Dredge estimated 350,000 cubic yards of sediment to restore the lake to an average 8 ft depth Establish maintenance dredging program to sustain the lake Project Overview Dredging cost $30,500,000 Annual Maintenance cost $2,013,000 30-year lifecycle dam repair $4,700,000 https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/stormwat er/plans-projects/lake-accotink-dredging-ac89-0009
Storm Drain Pollution Sediment: Bare soil, sand Nutrients: Fertilizer, yard debris Toxics: Pesticides, motor oil, lead-based paint, salt Pathogens: Animal or human waste Litter: Plastic, cigarettes, styrofoam, cans
Nutrient Pollution Nutrient pollution is the process where too many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of water and can act like fertilizer , causing excessive growth of algae and low levels of oxygen dissolved in the water In the process of decay, the oxygen in the water is used up and this leads to low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. This, in turn, can kill fish, crabs, oysters, and other aquatic animals Applying fertilizers in the proper amount and at the right time of year can significantly reduce how much fertilizer reaches water bodies. Also try eco friendly options and natural substitutes for lawn care Plant native plants Keeping animals and their waste out of streams https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/nutpollution.html
Soap Many soaps contain chemicals that harm fish and degrade water quality When you wash your car in the driveway, the soap together with the dirt, grime, grease, and oil washes from your car and flows into nearby storm drains Some soaps may also contain phosphates, which can cause excess algae to grow in local waterways Can be toxic to wildlife Instead . Use an environmentally friendly soap Wash your car on the lawn or gravel Make sure to dump your bucket in your sink or allow it to filter through the ground. Don't dump it down the driveway https://www2.erie.gov/environment/index.php?q=what-problem-car-washing
Sediment Pollution Sediment is the loose sand, clay, silt and other soil particles that settle at the bottom of a body of water The Environmental Protection Agency lists sediment as the most common pollutant in rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs Sediment pollution causes $16 billion in environmental damage annually Ways to prevent it Cover any loose soil Plant native plants Rain gardens https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/ksmo_sediment.pdf
Eagle Project Storm Drain Labeling Apply decals to storm drains in the Truro and Wakefield Chapel Woods communities Lead a diverse group of volunteers from Troops 1525, 1526, their peers, and community members The goal of the storm drain markers will be to discourage the dumping of materials down storm drains to prevent pollution and improve water quality Working with NVSWCD Education A portion of my project also involves community outreach and education Emails, newsletter, Truro Talk, volunteer recruitment
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Promote soil and water conservation in Fairfax County and beyond Promote hands-on conservation Provide technical expertise Develop young environmental leaders Prevent pollution, reduce runoff and protect our streams and rivers. NVSWCD Has the goal of labeling the over 10,000 storm drains in Fairfax County and educate residents about nonpoint source pollution Relies on volunteer-led projects to label
Simple Steps to Take in your Household Grow native plants and use mulch to cover and protect bare soil from erosion Scoop the poop! Keep bacteria from dog waste out of waterways Limit fertilizer use. - Try to compost or bag yard debris, practice bay-friendly yard care Put litter in the recycling or trash Keep suds from car washing out of the storm drain they can be toxic to wildlife Use pesticides only when necessary and sweep up any excess Dispose of motor oil, lead-based paint, and pesticides as household hazardous waste one gallon of oil can pollute two million gallons of water!
Thank You so Much for Coming!
