A Watershed Moment: Tips for Protecting and Appreciating OC’s Watersheds

From the creeks and channels that run through our communities, to our beautiful bays, marinas, and ocean, water plays an essential role in our OC lifestyle. However, the quality of our coveted waterways depends on how we treat their corresponding watersheds. If we’re not careful, our everyday activities can lead to water pollution. When items like trash, pet waste, engine oil, fertilizers or pesticides are not properly managed, they can flow through the storm drain system and into our ocean via runoff. Unlike water in sanitary sewers (from sinks and toilets), water in storm drains is not treated before entering our waterways. If we protect our watersheds, we can protect our valuable water resources throughout Orange County and, together, preserve our beaches, ocean, and other waterways for everyone to enjoy. 

Here are a few things you should know about your local watershed and how you can help protect all of Orange County’s watersheds.

What Is A Watershed?

Wherever you live, work, or play in Orange County, you do so in a watershed. So what is a watershed? Imagine a bathtub. No matter where water falls in the bathtub, it all goes down the drain. A watershed is similar – it’s an area of land where all the surface water drains to the same place, whether it’s a creek, stream, river, or ocean.

View our What is a Watershed page for more information.

Explore Orange County’s Watersheds

Orange County is comprised of 11 watersheds, all of which connect us to the Pacific Ocean. In other words, all the land in Orange County drains to the Pacific Ocean by traveling through one or more watersheds. This means that the actions you take at home, work, or play matter to our water quality because we are all connected to each other, and the ocean, through our watersheds and waterways.

The Value of Protecting Our Watersheds

Watersheds affect the quality of our surface water resources, so keeping them healthy is vital to keeping our waterways healthy. Unhealthy watersheds make our waterways uninhabitable for fish and wildlife, affect our ability to and can even impact our health. In order to protect our Orange County beaches and waterways it’s important to prevent pollution in our watersheds caused by runoff.

Runoff Pollution IS Watershed Pollution

Runoff is water from rain and outdoor water use that flows over impermeable surfaces and doesn’t soak into the ground. Runoff is a problem for our watersheds because it is not treated like water in the sewer system. As water from rain (stormwater) or sprinklers and hoses (non-stormwater) runs off your property and into your neighborhood’s streets, sidewalks and gutters, it picks up pollutants and then flows into storm drains that lead to waterways within your watershed. As runoff moves downstream, it combines with runoff from other neighborhoods in your watershed before it is released, to the Pacific Ocean.

The Ocean Begins At Your Front Door

As we live, work, and play in Orange County, it’s our job to make sure that pollutants do not make it to our waterways.

Remember:

• • Water that falls within your watershed and runs off your property is runoff!
  • Runoff flows through your neighborhood streets, sidewalks, and gutters, and picks up pollutants along the way!
  • Polluted runoff ends up in our waterways, including the ocean—without being treated!

How You Can Help: There Are Many Ways to Get Involved in Your Community and Appreciate Your Local Watershed!

• Find your watershed. No matter where you are, you’re in a watershed. Check out our Show Me My Watershed page to see which watershed you live in and the EPA’s interactive How’s My Waterway map that provides additional details on the quality of your local water bodies.
• Explore your watershed and report water pollution. Explore Orange County’s creeks, trails, and coastline and make observations about water quality conditions. If you see anything abnormal (such as dead fish, oil spills, leaking barrels, or other signs of pollution), visit our Report Pollution page to report the problem, or contact the Orange County 24-hour water pollution reporting hotline at 1.877.89.SPILL (1-877-897-7455).
• Connect with area watershed organizations through local events. Join the Orange County Stormwater Program and other organizations and individuals who are working to protect and restore our creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean. Find events in your area here.
• Spread the word. To protect our waterways, share your knowledge about preventing water pollution and encourage others to do the same. You can even involve your kids in learning about watersheds and pollution prevention through our kids’ Watershed Activity Workbook.
• Learn more. For more information on watersheds, view our What is a Watershed page and Tips for Protecting Your Watershed brochure.

Thank You For Protecting Our Watersheds

H₂OC would like to thank our Orange County community for all you do to protect our watersheds and local waterways. Remember, You Are the Solution to Runoff Pollution! From actions at home like securing lids on trash cans and recycling bins to practicing proper lawn care habits, we are all dedicated to preventing runoff pollution. Thank you, OC, for your continued efforts to protect and preserve the beauty and health of our watersheds, waterways, wetlands, beaches, and ocean!

Stay Tuned

This blog is the first in a series that will showcase the wonders of each of the 11 watersheds in Orange County. You can find the rest of the articles here. Did this article help you understand how your efforts can have a positive impact on our water quality, waterways, and watersheds?  What action do you take to prevent water pollution?  Let us know in the comments.