Livestock Manure

Protocol: Prevent livestock manure from polluting Oak Creek

Messages: Keeping livestock away from Oak Creek will decrease contamination (especially for downstream neighbors) and prevent erosion of banks.

Please make periodic checks of fencing, and timely repairs.

Takeaway messages:

• Be a Good Neighbor! Please prevent your livestock from drinking in or around Oak Creek in order to prevent downstream contamination
• Our environment begins with your land
• Practice good horse keeping

Fertilizers and pesticides

Protocol: Minimize fertilizing, and use alternative herbicides & pesticides

Messages:

• Herbicides kill indiscriminately
• Alternative pesticides are better for the watershed environment
• Herbicides and pesticides kill life forms in the Creek and degrade water quality
• Runoff from over-fertilizing transports nutrients down into Oak Creek and causes algae blooms
• Overuse of fertilizer and pesticides can damage the future entry into the regional aquifer
• Nitrogen promotes algae and plant overgrowth in Oak Creek’s riparian corridor

Takeaway message:

• Reducing fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides or using alternatives could be more cost-efficient and help improve the water quality of Oak Creek.

Dog Feces

Protocol: Pick up pet waste

Messages:

• Dog waste degrades water quality and contaminates Oak Creek
• When you pick up after your dog you are reducing the risk of bacteria and parasites being transported into Oak Creek and becoming a health problem
• When you pick up after your dog you are helping to eliminate the spread of disease in wildlife
• When surface waters contain fecal contaminants, people can come in contact with pathogens such as Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., Shigella spp., norovirus and E. coli 0517:H7 when recreating in the stream, which may cause human health problems that include skin, ear, eye, gastrointestinal, urinary tract, respiratory, neurologic and wound infections
• Dog droppings are one of the leading causes of pathogen contamination in streams; each gram of pet waste contains an average of 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, some of which can cause disease in humans.

Takeaway messages:

• Scoop the Poop!
• Pick up where your dog left off
• Do your doody
• When nature calls, make sure you pick up
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job

Wildlife Feces

Protocol: Feeding wildlife disturbs nature’s delicate balance

Messages:

• Sharing your picnic or discarding your food waste in the forest leads to increased wildlife feces in Oak Creek
• Wildlife feces pollute Oak Creek
• Sharing your picnic or discarding your food waste leads to changes in wildlife behavior and dependence on human food
• Discarded food waste attracts more wildlife to the Creek area
• Human food is not necessarily nutritional for animals and could impact their health in a negative way
• Raccoons & skunks get into trash and increase pollution of Oak Creek
• Raccoons & skunks are typical rabies carriers and could be a health hazard

Takeaway messages:

• Leave No Trace
• Do Not Litter
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job

Irrigation Diversions

Protocol: Retain water on your property as a resource for horticulture

Messages:

• Keep sediment/topsoil on your land by reducing runoff
• Letting sediment flow from your land to Oak Creek increases E. coli
• Sedimentation provides a home for E. coli
• When sediment is disturbed in Oak Creek it can create health issues

Takeaway messages:

• Keeping sediment/topsoil on your property will help to reduce E. coli in Oak Creek
• Our environment… begins with your land

Building and Road Construction

Protocol: Control runoff from your property

Messages:

• Instruct your contractors to make sure they have adequate controls in place to control runoff from your property during a storm event
• Fresh tar is toxic and can wash down into Oak Creek
• Chemicals from road tar are harmful to plants and aquatic life
• Be cognizant that chemicals on roads can leach into Oak Creek
• Use environmentally safe herbicides on roadways

Takeaway messages:

• Controlling runoff from your property will help reduce contamination of Oak Creek
• Our environment… begins with your property

Road Maintenance

Protocol: Prevent leaching of toxic road tar and herbicides

Messages:

• Fresh tar is toxic and can wash down into Oak Creek
• Chemicals from road tar are harmful to plants and aquatic life
• Be cognizant that chemicals on roads can leach into Oak Creek
• Use environmentally safe herbicides on roadways

Takeaway messages:

• Control leaching of toxic road tar and herbicides into Oak Creek
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job
• Our environment… begins with your community

Low Water Crossings

Protocol: Inspect and maintain Creek crossings

Message:

• Crossings of Oak Creek should be inspected and maintained frequently to prevent erosion and possible structural collapse

Takeaway messages:

• Erosion of low water crossings can be dangerous, as well as harmful to the water quality of Oak Creek
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job
• Our environment… begins with your property

Unauthorized of “Social” Trails

Protocol: Hike only on designated trails or forest roads

Messages:

• Unauthorized trails destroy vegetation, cause erosion, and sediment runoff
• Unauthorized trails often cut through sensitive habitats and off-limit areas, and can be a threat to wildlife
• Shortcuts may save seconds, but restoration can take years
• Consider your own safety and stay on developed trails or dry, solid rock areas with good footing.

Takeaway messages:

• Trailblazing can be dangerous, destroy vegetation and cause erosion
• Take only photographs, leave only footprints

Jeep/Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Trails

Protocol: Stay on designated trails/roads

Messages:

• Maintain vehicles
• Eliminate oil leaks and other petrochemicals
• Use public restrooms
• Be sensitive to the forest habitat

Takeaway messages:

• Use common sense and stay on authorized Jeep/ORV trails/roads
• Take only photographs, leave only footprints
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job

Human Feces

Protocol: Use public restrooms

Messages:

• Human feces pollute Oak Creek
• When surface waters contain fecal contaminants, people can come in contact with pathogens such as Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., Shigella spp., norovirus and E. coli0517:H7 when recreating in the Creek, which may cause human health problems that include skin, ear, eye, gastrointestinal, urinary tract, respiratory, neurologic and wound infections.
• Human feces degrade the scenic quality of the Oak Creek corridor and are offensive to other people.
• Attracts wildlife, flies and leads to disease

Takeaway messages:

• Scoop your Poop!
• Use public restrooms
• Leave No Trace
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job

Trash

Protocol: Do not litter

Messages:

• Take pride in the forest environment and treat it with respect as you would your own property.
• Trash needs to be packed up and taken with you or put into receptacles.
• Trash degrades the scenic quality of the Oak Creek corridor, and also could lead to chemical degradation, too.
• Trash attracts wildlife and encourages fecal contamination of the Creek

Takeaway messages:

• Pack in – Pack out!
• Leave No Trace
• Leave it better than you found it
• Don’t use the forest as a public dump
• Take only photographs, leave only footprints
• Litter and It Will Hurt

Used Baby Diapers

Protocol: Washing diapers in Oak Creek causes pollution

Messages:

• Human feces pollute Oak Creek
• When surface waters contain fecal contaminants, people can come in contact with pathogens such as Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., Shigella spp., norovirus and E. coli0517:H7 when recreating in the Creek, which may cause human health problems that include skin, ear, eye, gastrointestinal, urinary tract, respiratory, neurologic and wound infections.
• Place in appropriate receptacles
• Keep used diapers away from the Creek because they cause pollution
• Human feces attract wildlife, flies and leads to disease

Takeaway messages:

• Leave No Trace
• Use Public Restrooms
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job
• Our environment… it’s the only one we’ve got so please treat it with respect

Riparian/Creekside Buffers

Protocol: Planting invasive species negatively affects the health of Oak Creek

Messages:

• Invasive plants (like Giant Reed) can change the flow and direction of Oak Creek which in turn can cause pollution
• Invasive plants can be toxic to water quality and animals
• Invasive plants are prolific and dominate as well as out compete native vegetation
• When the Creek is choked then the chemistry of the riparian area changes
• Invasive plants (like Salt Cedar) can increase salinity
• Invasive plants are a wildfire hazard

Takeaway messages:

• Research plants that will enhance and promote a healthy riparian buffer and contribute to the improvement of water quality in Oak Creek
• Our environment begins with your property

Protocol: Avoid disturbing sediment pools in Oak Creek

Message:

• Disturbance of sediment pools on the bottom of Oak Creek that hold bacteria and viruses can cause human illness

Takeaway messages:

• Be aware that some “swimming holes” in Oak Creek could house deposits of sediment that may cause human illness when disturbed
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job

Stormwater Runoff

Protocol: Retain stormwater on your property as a valuable resource for landscaping

Messages:

• Runoff transports sediment/top soil, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, and pet waste into Oak Creek
• Alternative pesticides and herbicides are better for the watershed environment
• Utilize composting, rain gutters and rain barrels
• Runoff from over-fertilizing transports nutrients down into Oak Creek and causes algae blooms
• Overuse of fertilizer and pesticides can damage the future entry into the regional aquifer
• Nitrogen promotes algae and plant overgrowth in Oak Creek’s riparian corridor
• Dog droppings are one of the leading causes of pathogen contamination in streams; each gram of dog poop has more than 20 million E. coli bacteria colonies in it (not to mention the nitrogen and phosphorus).

Takeaway messages:

• Good stewardship of your property will reduce pollutants being transported to Oak Creek by stormwater runoff.
• Please don’t feed the storm drain
• Our environment… begins with your yard

Sewer System

Protocol: Keep your sewer system maintained

Messages:

• Know the location of your sewer pipes
• Inadequate maintenance of a sewer system can cause blockage and backup
• Dispose of pharmaceutical drugs at authorized locations
• Storm events will transport sewage down to Oak Creek
• Sewer odors are offensive and unhealthy

Takeaway messages:

• Be responsible! Proper maintenance of your community sewer system will reduce public health issues and prevent pollution of Oak Creek.
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job
• Our environment… begins with your community

Residential & Commercial Septic Systems

Protocol: Keep your septic system maintained regularly

Messages:

• Inadequate maintenance of a septic system may result in unnecessary overflows into the leach field and cause pollution beyond your property
• Storm events can transport pollutants down to Oak Creek
• Septic system sewage odors are offensive and unhealthy
• Older septic systems should be upgraded to meet current public health codes
• Keep your graywater confined to your property

Takeaway messages:

• Be a good neighbor! Proper maintenance of your septic system will reduce public health issues and prevent pollution beyond the confines of your property
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job
• Our environment… begins with your property

RV Black Water Systems

Protocol: Keep your black water system properly pumped and maintained

Messages:

• Do not empty your black water system into, or near, Oak Creek
• Black water pollutes Oak Creek and is hazardous to human health and aquatic life
• Properly dispose of black water according to RV Park and public health regulations

Takeaway messages:

• Be a good citizen! Prevent pollution by pumping and maintaining your RV black water system.
• Pollution prevention: it’s everyone’s job
• Our environment is the only one we have so please treat it with respect