STORM WATER CENTRAL
Storm Water Pollution Hotline: (573) 364-8659
Enviroscape Education
We ALL live in a watershed and contribute to the overall health of our natural resources. As individuals, families and communities, we contribute to water quality problems on a daily basis. Water pollution comes from many sources, but the cumulative effect of pollutants from small sources, such as the average homeowner's contribution, has a tremendous impact. This accumulation of contaiminants from small, indiscreet sources, or "People Pollution", is typically called nonpoint source pollution and it has become the leading cause of water quality problems. These pollutants are the result of common activities and include such things as:
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Excess fertilizer, pesticide or insecticide used in residential, commercial and agricultural areas
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Oil, grease and chemicals from urban runoff
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Construction site sediment and waste
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Vegetative debris carrying residual chemicals
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Detergents and cleaning supplies used on automobiles
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Pet waste
Nonpoint source pollution occurs when runoff, whether rainfall, snowmelt or irrigation, flows across the land, picks up pollutants, and carries them to streams and rivers. Visualize the path a raindrop takes from the moment it makes contact with the ground to the point it enters a waterbody and all the contaminants it absorbs along the way. When combined with all the other raindrops, the magnitude of the problem becomes obvious. Not only does nonpoint source pollution cause severe environmental damage, but it can lead to human health problems as well. One need only observe underdeveloped countries to see the results of polluted waterways.
What if you could teach a child about pollution and the role they play in the health of the environment and make it fun? Think of the lifetimes worth of pollution that could be prevented by molding environmentally responsible behavior. They say seeing is believing. That's why the Enviroscape 3D Watershed Model is such an effective teaching tool.
The Enviroscape Watershed/Nonpoint Source Pollution model is a portable three dimensional representation of a watershed and all its components. The 25”x30” replica is designed to represent a variety of water pollution sources, both point source and nonpoint source. The model visually demonstrates how water and pollutants travel throughout a watershed and ultimately impact larger bodies of water. Program participants use various items such as drink mix and cocoa to represent pollutants. By using a spray bottle of water, they can "make it rain” and observe what happens to the pollutants. For groups interested in exploring the benefits and values of restoring the vegetative environment along streams and rivers, the City also has a Riparian Restoration kit that works in conjunction with the watershed model. This kit will help demonstrate how trees slow runoff, stabilize stream banks, help decrease water temperatures.
If you are interested in scheduling a presentation for your class, group or organization, please fill out the attached form and return to the address indicated.
The presentation length can be tailored to fit within an available time range. Similarly, the format will be dependent upon the age group. Please keep in mind that the smaller the group, themore interactive the training.
This program is offered FREE OF CHARGE to interested parties.
For more information, contact:
Anne McClay, Sr. Project Coordinator
P.O. Box 979, Rolla, Missouri, 65402-0979
Phone: (573) 364-8659
Fax: (573) 364-8602
email: amcclay@rollacity.org
Keeping our streets and streams clear is more than just a matter of civic pride. In this age of increasing federal regulations and concerns about the environment, it has become an activity of utmost importance. The City of Rolla is responsible for maintaining more than 110 miles of streets and nearly 13 miles of creeks within its boundaries...a monumental task to say the least. Because of the environmental impact involved, the city initiated a program to encourage wider public involvement in keeping our community clean. Modeled after the state “Adopt a Highway” program, the city established its own Adopt a Street/Adopt a Creek Program.
Litter control is a key aspect in the way citizens and visitors alike view a community. But more importantly, it is imperative when it comes to protecting our local natural resources. Pollutants found on and around roadways eventually flow into the city's storm sewer system. Contrary to popular belief, these contaminants do NOT end up at the wastewater treatment plants but in fact go directly into our streams and ponds. The candy wrapper lying in the gutter on Forum Drive eventually lands in Burgher Creek. To see which streets impact which local stream, take a look at the City of Rolla watershed map.
When a person thinks about pollutants typically found in streets, they think of paper, soda cans, candy wrappers, etc. But you may be surprised to find that soil and yard waste are considered contaminants as well. When excess amounts of soil enter the stream, it increases the suspended sediments or turbidity of the water. This becomes detrimental to habitat areas of aquatic life, both plant and animal. Sediment can also carry adhered pollutants including heavy metals and phosphorus. The same holds true for yard waste. Grass clippings and leaf debris often contain residue from herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. Excessive amounts of phosphorous contained in fertilizers can cause algal blooms, a rapid growth of algae caused by an increase in nutrients. The decay mechanism of this short lived plant reduces dissolved oxygen that is required to sustain aquatic life.
By understanding the process through which our waterways become polluted, you'll understand the driving force behind the City of Rolla's "Adopt a Street/Adopt a Creek" program. If your group, business, or organization is looking for a way to become more community oriented, demonstrate your concern for the environment, or just get together in a useful project, the Adopt a Street/Adopt a Creek program may be right for you. Any interested group or individual is welcome to call the Public Works Department at 364-8659, or come by our office located on fourth floor of city hall, for more information on how to get involved.
Participation in this worthwhile program requires only a small investment of time and effort, and can provide a substantial return in terms of achievement, involvement, and community pride. Participants are required to watch an eight minute safety video provided by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and must make a commitment to clean their area at least four times a year for streets and once a year for streams. The City of Rolla, in return, provides safety vests, trash bags, trash pickup and a sign featuring the organization’s name located at each end of the street or stream.
Eligible adopters include all civic and non-profit organizations, commercial and private enterprises and individuals. Please bear in mind that the program is not intended as a means of providing a public forum for use in promoting name recognition or political causes.
To Adopt-a-Street or Adopt-a-Creek:
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Review the attached adoption map to select the street you wish to adopt. Remember, this is subject to approval by the city. Be aware that the streets shown in orange are state maintained. To adopt a state highway, plase visi8t Missouri Department of Transportations's Adopt-A-Highway website.
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Fill out the attached Adoption AGreement form. Be sure to include all the required information.
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Complete the attached Hold Harmless Agreement form. Be sure to include all the required information.
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Abide by all rules, regulations and safety requirements of the program.
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For street adoptions, the adopters agree to restrict program activities to areas outside of the paved street surface.
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Cleanup activities shall be undertaken only between the hours of one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset, and shall not be undertaken during inclement weather.
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Adopters are prohibited from possessing, consumin, or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs while participating in the program.
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All participating adopters will attend a safety meeting before engaging in anu program activity.
Litter must be picked up at least four times a year along streets, and once a year along streams. Adopters sign a one year commitment to the program. However, the agreement can be terminated at any time. Each location is reviewed periodically to ensure both parties are fulfilling their obligations. The City of Rolla has established rules and regulations for the program to ensure safety and consistency in its operation. All adopters are expected to know and abide by these standards. Please contact us if you would like more information.
Safety is of utmost importance. Please be sure to read, understand and follow the guidelines listed below:
Safety precautions for working along a road or in a stream:
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Wear light colored clothing.
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Wear a hat, long sleeves, work gloves, protective shoes or boots, and a safety vest.
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Use sunscreen to protect exposed skin areas
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Do not work on the roadway itself.
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Always face and be aware of oncoming traffic.
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Be cautious when crossing roadways; use crosswalks whenever possible.
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Stay clear of construction projects, mowing operations and maintenance activities.
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Stop work during bad weather and poor visibility conditions.
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Watch footing when walking on slopes.
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Be cautious of holes and obstacles.
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Be alert for snakes, stinging insects, and poison ivy.
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Stress safety at all times. Avoid horseplay or activity that might distract drivers.
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Be careful if using a litter pickup stick; wear leather boots to protect your feet.
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Have at least one adult supervisor for every eight participants 13 to 17 years old, and one adult supervisor for every four participants 6 to 12 years old. No one under the age of 6 will be allowed to participate.
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Be careful not to overexert yourself.
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Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
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On hot days, take plenty of breaks to avoid overheating.
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Do not remove hazardous substances - when in doubt, contact City personnel.
Always be ready for an emergency:
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Be sure each crew has a first-aid kit nearby.
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Have at least one cell phone available in the group.
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Have transportation available at all times.
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Know the location of the nearest emergency room.
Get involved ...
Protect the environment...
Help keep Rolla beautiful...
The state of Missouri has more than 110,000 miles of streams and rivers. Most residents of the Show Me State would agree that they are one of our most scenic natural attractions. They provide us with many forms of recreation, including fishing, canoeing and swimming. They recharge the aquifers of the state ensuring we have a generous supply of groundwater. They are an important element in the formation of the caves, sinkholes and springs, or karst topography, for which Missouri is known.
The citizens of Rolla and Phelps County are fortunate enough to live in an area that has an abundance of clean streams and rivers. This was not always the case. Historically, regulatory agencies focused on much larger water bodies while ignoring the smaller streams that cover the state. Without the necessary monitoring, the condition of many streams degraded to the point that floatable pollutants and dead fish were a visible reminder
By understanding the process through which our waterways become polluted, you'll understand the driving force behind the City of Rolla's "Clean Stream Initiative" and how you can become a steward of our national waterways.
How many times have you heard someone say, "But what can I do? I'm just one person"? Perhaps you've thought the same yourself. Polluted waterways are the result of the accumulation of contaminants from many sources. To clearly understand the ramifications of your actions and those around you, think on a watershed level instead of a local level.
A watershed, or drainage basin, is the land area that drains water to a particular strea, river or lake. This land feature can be identified by tracing a boundary along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, usually a ridge.
Rolla is home to six distinct drainage basins. The steams that receive runoff from the surrounding land are Burgher Branch, Deible Creek, Dutro Carter Creek, Spring Creek, Love Creek, and Little Beaver Creek. From here, these six streams discharge to the Gasonade River and the Dry Fork and the Little Pine Creeks in Phelps County. These waterbodies comprise just a small portion of the 45 watersheds in the state of Missouri. Missouri's runoff drains into one of the eighteen watersheds of the United States and eventually to the Gulf and the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean.
If 50 homeowners on one branch of Burgher Creek allow their pollutants to enter the creek, and further downstream they meet up with pollutants from another 225 homeowners, by the time they enter Dutro Carter Creek you now have 275 homeowners polluting the stream...and each one thinks "but I'm just one person". Now, add in the other five drainage basins. By the time it reaches a statewide level, you can see that one person DOES make a difference.
So how do you know what you can and can't put in a stream? What is considered a pollutant? Aside from the environmental damage it causes, why should you be concerned?
Dumping in the state of Missouri is illegal...PERIOD! Causing or allowing dumping may result in significant penalties that are enforceable by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. For more information and instructions for reporting illegal dumping outside the city limits, please visit DNR's website. Dumping within the corporate limits of Rolla is illegal and should be reported by calling (573) 364-8659 or (573) 364-6693.
Dumping in local streams and their buffer zones is a violation of the Chapter 15 Stormwater and Flood Control ordinance and is punishable by civil and/or criminal penalties. With increasingly rigorous federal regulations, the city must adopt a zero tolerance policy.
Pollutants include (but are not limited to):
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household garbage
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tires
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demolition debris
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paint
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chemicals
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motor oil
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sand, soil or gravel
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yard waste
The Clean Stream Initiative was developed to allow concerned citizens of Rolla to become stewards of our local streams. The City of Rolla will provide and install, free of charge, a 24"x18" premade sign, informing individuals that dumping is not allowed in streams within the city limits and includes a hotline number available for reporting violations. To request a sign, please print out the request form and return to the Public Works Department using one of the methods provided.
To report storm water pollution or illegal dumping within the city limits, contact:
City of Rolla Public Works Department - (573) 364-8659 or
City of Rolla Police Department - (573) 308-1213
If this is an emergency:
If you are reporting a chemical spill, DO NOT attempt to clean it yourself. Call 911 immediately.
For questions or information regarding the Clean Stream Initiative, contact:
City of Rolla Public Works Department (573) 364-8659.
of the need for a better system. Conditions have improved drastically over the years through the implementation of improved environmental regulations, the hard work of volunteer organizations, and the efforts of landowers and concerned citizens. But there is always room for improvement.