Since its beginning in 1990, the Task Force has directed its resources and energy to the challenge of developing community partnerships and strategies to improve and restore the recreational and commercial fisheries of the Pacific Northwest. The Task Force is armed with stencils and ready to mark storm drains in order to remind people that all runoff affects salmon. Most storm drains in our region drain to salmon streams, local lakes, and Puget Sound. Washing cars rinses not only soap but petroleum products, heavy metals, and sediment down storm drains and into local salmon waters. Fertilizers, pesticides, and pet waste from lawns can enter streams through storm drains.
People often use storm drains as a dumping ground for hazardous household materials.
These wastes can last throughout the summer until the rainy season washes them down the drain. Labeling storm drains helps prevent deliberate dumping into and around storm drains. It also serves as a reminder that our daily activities affect salmon. The stenciled signs ensure that people standing at the crosswalk think about salmon for at least a few seconds of each day. Now is the time to stencil storm drains in your neighborhood.