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Watershed Quarterly:
Order Your Rain Barrel Now With This Special Deal
The City of Tulsa's Stormwater Quality Division is partnering with Upcycle Products to offer rain barrels at a discounted rate to the public.
A rain barrel attaches to the gutter on your home to catch rainwater that falls onto your roof. You can use the water to wash your car, top off your swimming pool and most commonly, to water your garden or lawn. Harvesting rainwater prevents stormwater runoff from picking up pollutants as it flows into the streets and storm drains, which then flow untreated to our local streams.
Harvesting rain water also allows stormwater to soak into the ground, decreasing scouring flows of stormwater to streams in urban areas after rainfall.
You can visit
www.upcycle-products.com
to view products. The rain barrels will be distributed on Friday Sept. 25, from noon to 3 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 26, from 8 a.m. to noon.
The City of Tulsa does not endorse this vendor over another, nor is Upcycle Products the only vendor that offers rain barrels. Stay tuned for an update from our City of Tulsa social media for a direct link with the promotion discount.
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Litter Continues to be an
Ongoing Problem
in Tulsa
The predominant litter that accumulates in Tulsa waterways and on Tulsa streets consists of Styrofoam cups, plastic bottles, cigarette butts, and grass clippings. These items can be very harmful to the environment. Cigarette butts can take anywhere between one and five years to break down; Styrofoam cups take 50 years, and plastic bottles can take up to 450 years! When grass clippings get into the street, they eventually wash into the storm drains and end up in our creeks, causing unwanted nutrients to be added to the water.
Over time, these items add up and cause a huge problem for the wildlife in our creeks. Different fish can thrive in different conditions in a creek. With the increase in litter, certain fish are unable to survive. Let's all do our part in picking up litter for the sake of the local wildlife and our community.
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Low Impact Development in Tulsa
Low Impact Development (LID) is a design approach that helps to protect water resources by using techniques that absorb and filter stormwater. These practices can be implemented both residentially and commercially, and include rain gardens, rain barrels, green roofs, pervious pavement, pervious pavers, as well as bioswales. While the City of Tulsa encourages LID in new construction, it is not an enforceable technique.
We recently became aware of an exemplary LID project and wanted to highlight the project in this newsletter. An articulated mat, similar to a pervious paver, is being installed as part of a drainage project at Douglas Creek. These pavers allow absorption of runoff, reducing the transfer of pollution. Buffalo grass will be planted between the pavers, to increase the filtration. We hope to include more LID projects in future newsletters.
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Species Spotlight: Emerald Shiner, Notropis atherinoides
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The emerald shiner is widely distributed throughout North America and was recently seen in Mingo Creek within the city of Tulsa. It is a small, silvery, slender fish that can grow up to 3.5 inches in length. Emerald shiners are bright, iridescent, silvery green with a silver mid-lateral band.
Emerald shiners feed on small organisms like zooplankton and insects. Due to the abundance of shiners and their habit of traveling in schools, they also are an important food source for various predatory fish and fish-eating birds. Fishermen may use emerald shiners as fishing bait, especially for winter fishing.
Emerald shiners typically live in large open rivers, lakes and reservoirs but also can be found in smaller bodies of water. They are most commonly seen in clear water over sand or gravel. Some shiners are tolerant of low oxygen levels and turbidity. For that reason, emerald shiners are not a good indicator of water quality.
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New Children's Activity Book Coming Soon
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We believe that education makes the greatest impact on protecting our local creeks and streams from storm drain pollution. That's why we go to many schools, public events, and businesses to educate citizens on the everyday problems we face. We also enjoy providing pet waste bags, rain garden seeds, rain gauges and other beneficial items.
In 2018 we developed a coloring book to engage children in understanding how to Save Our Streams. Watch for our new children's activity book which will include games, crafts, and around-the-house activities to help kids not only learn about but also be active in making a difference.
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Copyright © City of Tulsa. All Rights Reserved.
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