Handouts:

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The Rouge River Project

Friends of the Rouge is a grassroots organization with over 800 members who are dedicated to restoring the Rouge River. They participate in a variety of special community projects and an annual Rouge Rescue cleanup, which has removed tons of natural and man-made debris from the river. They also sponsor an education program to teach elementary through high school students about water quality sampling and the importance of the Rouge River.

Participate in Friends of the Rouge Activities:

Rouge Riverwatch is an opportunity for you and your group to take year-round responsibility for the health and appearance of a section of the Rouge River or one of the streams that flow into it. As a member of the Rouge Riverwatch Program, you and your group can:

• Conduct cleanups of the stream and its banks
• Monitor the health of your stream
• Learn how to prevent water pollution
• Develop your own stream protection or enhancement projects

Storm Drain Stenciling is one way concerned people can inform others about pollution from storm drains. Various types of pollutants, such as oil, grease and antifreeze are poured down storm drains, which directly dump into the river. Many times this pollution comes from individuals who do not know that storm drains lead directly to the river. Stenciling storm drains with the words "Dump No Waste — Drains to Rouge River" informs people about this pollution source.

Stream Monitoring Program - How healthy is your local stream? Would you like to know what problems exist there, which animals do or could live in or near the stream, what uses you can make of the stream right now, and what its potential is for the future? By participating in the stream monitoring program you can get the answers to these questions, and help with correcting those problems. These surveys are wonderful, fun, educational experiences for all ages!

Workshops - Topics may include how to create a successful volunteer project; making, putting up and monitoring nesting boxes for birds, ducks and bats; water quality testing; backyard and/or worm composting; and storm drain stenciling. These workshops are free and open to the public.

Wet Weather Demonstration Project

Source: http://www.rougeriver.com/getinvol/joinorg.htmle Web site of The Rouge River Project/ Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project. The Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project is funded, in part, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grants.

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It's Up to Us

Directions: Complete the chart with the requested information.

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Teacher's Reference Sheet

If you do not have sufficient Internet access in your classroom, it may help if you contact several companies to ask about their efforts to keep our water supply clean. Ask for multiple brochures for classroom use.

Exxon Corporation - B

Green Peace - NP

Sierra Club - NP

Ford Motor Corporation - B

Friends of the Rouge (Detroit, MI) - NP

Clean Water Act - G

Dow Chemical Company - B

The Clorox Company - B

True Green Chem Lawn - B

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - G

Five Star Restoration Program - NP

Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Water - G

Clean Michigan Initiative - G

Vivendi Environment - B

Tennessee Valley Authority - B

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Quick Things You Can Do!

1. Put Up a Sign. Post signs in your source water protection area borders to notify people that any pollution in this area can affect the local drinking water quality.
2. Do Use and Dispose of Harmful Materials Properly! Don't Dump It on the Ground! Hazardous wastes that are dumped on or buried in the ground can contaminate the soil and either leach down into the ground water or be carried into a nearby body of surface water by runoff during rainstorms. You may be surprised to learn that a number of products you use at home contain hazardous or toxic substances. The truth is, however, that products like motor oil, pesticides, left-over paints or paint cans, mothballs, flea collars, weedkillers, household cleaners, and even a number of medicines contain materials that can be harmful to ground water.
3. Don't Overuse Pesticides or Fertilizers. You may apply fertilizers to make your grass thick and green, flowers colorful, and your vegetable crop abundant. You also may use pesticides to keep bugs from ruining what the fertilizers have helped to produce. What you may not know, however, is that many of these fertilizers and pesticides contain hazardous chemicals that can travel through the soil and contaminate ground water. If you feel you must use these chemicals, use them in moderation.
4. Volunteer in your Community. Find a watershed or wellhead protection organization in your community and volunteer to help. If there are no groups active, consider starting your own. Use EPA's Adopt Your Watershed Page to locate groups in your community or visit WIN's "How to Start a Watershed Team".
5. Identify Ways You Can Help Prevent Polluted Runoff from your Home, Ranch or Farm. Check out Give Water a Hand (for students) or the National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Voluntary Assessment Programs (for farmers and homeowners) to find out how you can be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.
6. Organize a Storm Drain Stenciling Project. Produce and distribute a flyer or hanger for households to remind residents that storm drains dump directly into your local waterbody.
7. Prepare a Presentation about your Watershed for your School or Civic Organization. Discuss water quality threats, including polluted runoff and habitat loss. Highlight things people can do to protect water quality, including limiting fertilizer use and eliminating herbicides and pesticides. Research your presentation using EPA's Nonpoint Source Program Pages.
   
8. Join in a Beach, Stream or Wetlands Cleanup.
   
   
9. Create a Wildlife Habitat in your Backyard, Workplace or Schoolyard. Download the Natural Resources Conservation Service's 28-page booklet that outlines 10 conservation projects. Or join the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program.
   
   
10. Sponsor a Festival in your Community to Raise Awareness about the Need to Protect Drinking Water. Find out how to organize an event using the Groundwater Foundation's guide, "Making Waves: How to Put on a Water Festival."

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Using Water Efficiently: Ideas for Residences

Bathroom — where over half of all water use inside a house takes place:

• Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.
• Take short showers instead of tub baths. Turn off the water while soaping or shampooing.
• If you must use a tub, close the drain before turning on the water and fill the tub only half full.
• Bathe small children together.
• Never use your toilet as a waste basket.

Kitchen and Laundry — simple practices that save a lot of water:

• Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a basin. Use a vegetable brush.
• Do not use water to defrost frozen foods; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
• Add food wastes to your compost pile instead of using the garbage disposal.
• Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.

Equipment — homes with high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances save about 30% of indoor water use and yield substantial savings on water, sewer, and energy bills:

• Consider purchasing high-efficiency toilets, or place a plastic container filled with water in the tank of your conventional toilet. Be sure it does not interfere with operation of the toilet’s flush mechanisms.
• Install low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads.
• Consider purchasing a high efficiency washing machine which can save over 50% in laundry water and energy use.
• Repair all leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. To detect leaks in the toilet, add food coloring to the tank water. If the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking. Toilet repair advice is available at <www.toiletology.com/index.shtml>.

Landscape Irrigation — depending on climate, up to 75% of a home’s total water use during the growing season is for outdoor purposes:

• Detect and repair all leaks in irrigation system.
• Use properly treated wastewater for irrigation where available.
• Water the lawn or garden during the coolest part of the day (early morning is best). Do not water on windy days.
• Water trees and shrubs, which have deep root systems, longer and less frequently than shallow-rooted plants that require smaller amounts of water more often. Check with the local extension service for advice on watering needs in your area.
• Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only – not the street or sidewalk.
• Use soaker hoses or trickle irrigation systems for trees and shrubs.
• Install moisture sensors on sprinkler systems.
• Use mulch around shrubs and garden plants to reduce evaporation from the soil surface and cut down on weed growth.
• Remove thatch and aerate turf to encourage movement of water to the root zone.
• Raise your lawn mower cutting height – longer grass blades help shade each other, reduce evaporation, and inhibit weed growth.
• Minimize or eliminate fertilizing, which promotes new growth needing additional watering.
• When outdoor use of city or well water is restricted during a drought, use the water from the air conditioning condenser, dehumidifier, bath, or sink on plants or the garden. Don’t use water that contains bleach, automatic-dishwashing detergent or fabric softener.

Other Outdoor Uses:

• Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps rather than hosing off.
• Wash the car with water from a bucket, or consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water.
• When using a hose, control the flow with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
• Avoid purchasing recreational water toys which require a constant stream of water.
• Consider purchasing a new water-saving swimming pool filter.
• Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation when pool is not being used.
• Do not install or use ornamental water features unless they recycle the water. Do not operate during a drought.

Philanthropy Framework: