Watershed Quarterly from the City of Tulsa

January 2017 | Issue No. 12

Tulsa Household Pollutant Collection Facility
Celebrates One Year Anniversary

One year ago, the City of Tulsa opened the Household Pollutant Collection Facility (HPCF) to provide a permanent and more convenient system for disposing of household pollutants at no cost for Tulsa residents.

To date, the facility has collected 89,459 pounds of household pollutants from 1,326 customers. In late 2016, the City of Tulsa also allowed M.e.t. members and residents throughout the region to drop-off household pollutants at the HPCF for a fee. More than 80 residents outside of the Tulsa city limits have utilized the HPCF thus far.

The HPCF facility is located at 4502 S. Galveston Avenue and is open every Wednesday and Saturday by appointment from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Residents can make an appointment by calling 311. M.e.t. member residents can call the M.e.t. to schedule an appointment at (918) 584-0584.

More information about the HPCF and the list of accepted/non-accepted items, can be found online.

Species Spotlight: Crayfish

Did you know crayfish can be important indicators of water quality? Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans that look like small lobsters and reside in brooks and streams with running fresh water.

Nearly 70 percent of the world's crayfish population lives in the waters of the United States and almost 50 percent of U.S. crayfish species are in need of conservation recognition. Crayfish are threatened by habitat destruction caused by dams, water pollution, erosion, and even the introduction of nonnative crayfish and other animals.

As many crayfish species are sensitive to water pollution, crayfish can be used to forecast present and historical water quality conditions. For example, a sudden decrease of freshwater crayfish can be an indicator of chemicals or other forms of water pollution. Therefore, the presence of crayfish in our Oklahoma streams and waterways is a welcome sight.

Using Ice Melt Properly

Winter is one of the most wonderful times of the year, but the colder temperatures mean slick spots on driveways, walkways, and parking lots. Knowing how to use ice melt correctly can prevent slips, trips and falls as well as prevent pollution in local streams. Below are tips on how to apply ice melt properly:

Do not coat the entire ground. Read the application instructions to find out how much ice melt to use.
Do not apply before heavy rainfall.
Only apply to hard surfaces. Be careful to not apply to vegetated areas.
Be especially diligent to properly apply and cleanup ice melt around storm drains and waterbodies.
Sweep up any excess ice melt. If you can't reuse it, toss it in the trash.

Upcoming Events


2017 Tulsa Home and Garden Show Come visit the City of Tulsa at the 2017 Tulsa Home and Garden Show on March 9-12! Representatives from various City Departments will be on-hand to answer any questions you have about City services and Tulsa's Stormwater Quality group will have promotional giveaways and drawings for prizes. There will also be children activities and a fish aquarium at the City of Tulsa booth.	New Map Allows Citizens to find their Watershed A new map is now available to the citizens of Tulsa that helps identify the watershed they live in. Citizens can receive information about their specific watershed, find out what kind of fish live in the stream and the condition of the watershed. Visit online to learn more about your watershed.	Winter Planting Day Join the City of Tulsa's Stormwater Quality team as they partner with the Crow Creek Community Project to collect and plant native wildflower seeds at their demonstration meadow at 1031 E. 33rd Place. The City and the Crow Creek Community are transforming this vacant flood-prone lot into a wildflower meadow which will showcase how homeowners can use native plantings to manage stormwater runoff, protect stream banks, and beautify their landscape. Meet at the lot on Friday, February 3 at 1:30 p.m., and Saturday, February 4 at 9:30 a.m. Dress seasonally appropriate. Large groups are welcome. For more information contact Jean Lemmon at Jean.Lemmon@Conservation.ok.gov.

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