Chico Clean Creeks 2009 Calendar
Big Chico Creek Stream Team volunteers conducting macroinvertebrate surveys. Aquatic insect surveys are a very useful technique for tracking the health of Big Chico Creek. They live in the waterway for up to 3 years and are dependent on good water quality for their survival. The diversity of their populations forms a baseline of information used to track changes within the creek system over time. If their populations are healthy then so is the creek! Photo credits Cover by: Dennis Leser (Big Chico Creek) Inside flap by: Leah Strishak (Big Chico Creek) Stream Team photos provided by Timmarie Hammil
The Bidwell Park Volunteer Program falls under the auspice of the City of Chico s Park Division. Volunteer activities focus on weed management, restoration with native plants, litter removal, trail repair and maintenance and some specialized construction projects. Volunteer Thursdays is a regular weekly program at various Bidwell Park locations and runs throughout the year. Two trail seasons, 10 weeks in length, are conducted in both the Fall and Spring. For more information on these opportunities or to schedule a special one time project or activity, contact the volunteer coordinator at 530-896-7831. Picnic site adoptions are also available. Watch for the following dates/events in 2009: Earth Day in Bidwell Park on April 25, 2009 -- 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Bidwell Park Volunteer Day on November 14, 2009 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Contact volunteer coordinator for activities and locations at (530)896-7831. The Clean Creeks in the Classroom Program is funded by the City of Chico. The curriculum is targeted to public school third-grade students. They participate in watershed model demonstrations, and other educational activities, which instill awareness of Best Management Practices to use at home, for the prevention of runoff pollution through our gutters and storm drains. Clean Creeks in the Classroom partners with the Kids & Creeks program to provide education on runoff pollution prevention through the protection of our creeks riparian zones. Students get to enjoy a field trip to the park, and learn all about the riparian habitat. Clean Creeks in the Classroom partners with the Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance Citizen Monitoring Program to provide stream assessment education and hands-on activities, to instill greater knowledge of the impacts that runoff pollution can have on our local creeks and watershed. Clean Creeks Classroom Curriculum: Classroom visit and watershed model interactive demonstration. Field trip to Bidwell Park, or outdoor stations on school site. Follow-up classroom visit. Community Showcase event. Family Involvement.
January 2009 Top photo by Larry Leigh (Butte Creek) Thumbnail by Zora Thomas (ice formations on Lindo Channel)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 New Year s Day 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Martin Luther King Jr. Day 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Reduce Stormwater Runoff *City Holiday Disconnect your downspouts and/or direct runoff onto the lawn, plant beds or containment areas where rain will soak into the soil rather than run off the yard. Use mulch, bricks, flagstone, gravel, or other porous surfaces for walkways, patios and drives. Collect and store rain runoff from your roof in a rain barrel or cistern. Plant designated rain gardens under your downspouts with water tolerant native plant species.
February 2009 Top photo by Jan Austin (Big Chico Creek) Thumbnail by Sharon Nilsson (One Mile)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Valentine s Day 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 President s Day 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Keep litter out of our creeks! *City Holiday If it isn t rainwater it doesn t belong in the gutter. Never pour anything into a gutter or storm drain. Clean up after your pet! Dispose of pet waste in a bag and dump it in the garbage. Don t litter. Cigarette butts and trash wash from the streets directly into our creeks. Bring your own reusable shopping bags when you shop to cut down on plastic bags in our waterways.
March 2009 Top photo by Larry Leigh (One Mile Dam) Thumbnail by Larry Leigh (Larkspur)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Daylight Savings Time Begins 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 St. Patrick s Day First Day of Spring 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Watershed-friendly Cleaning Methods Use vegetable-based soaps and household cleaners that are watershed-friendly. Choose commercial cleaning products that do not contain phosphates. Make your own homemade cleaning products with ingredients such as distilled vinegar, borax and baking soda. Send dirty cleaning water down a toilet or sink drain, instead of a gutter or storm drain. Never dispose of unused cleaning products by throwing in the trash, pouring down sink drains, on the ground or down storm drains. Take unused cleaners to your local Household Hazardous Waste Facility (contact information printed on back of calendar). Additional watershed-friendly cleaning resources are printed on back cover of calendar.
April 2009 Top photo by Sharon Nilsson (One Mile) Thumbnail by Larry Leigh (spawning Salmon)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 April Fool s Day 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Easter Income Tax Day 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Earth Day Earth Day Celebration in Bidwell Park 26 27 28 29 30 Home Repair & Remodeling When cleaning tools, never rinse or dump paint products, cleaning solvents, or cement based products down our storm drains. Use latex-based, low VOC paints whenever possible. When using paint thinner to clean oil-based paint products from tools, collect the fluid residue in a container and strain the paint particulates from the paint thinner which can then be reused. Choose Clean Water Business Partners to clean your carpets, landscape your yard, paint your house, and provide General Contractor services. See back of calendar and www.keepchicoclean.org for a current list of businesses. Offer to let your carpet cleaner empty the waste water onto your lawn or down your toilet. Sweep sidewalks and driveways clean, rather than hosing them down. Take unused paints, solvents, adhesives and other household chemicals and toxics to your local Household Hazardous Waste facility (contact information printed on back of calendar).
May 2009 Top photo by Ron Schelldorf (small stream feeding Big Chico Creek in Upper Park)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 May Day 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Cinco De Mayo 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Mother s Day 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Memorial Day Hire a Clean Water Business Partner! *City Holiday If you re looking to clean your carpets, install new landscaping, build an addition, remodel or repair your home, consider using the services of a Clean Water Business Partner to ensure that your project will not contribute to urban runoff pollution. Each Clean Water Business Partner has made a personal pledge and ongoing commitment to educate their customers and to help keep Chico s creeks clean by employing best management practices which prevent runoff pollution from their daily business operations. These businesses pay special attention to use safer products and to prevent fertilizers, pesticides, chemical wastewater, paint products, and general construction debris and byproducts from being dumped, washed or broomed into our gutters and storm drains. For a current list of Clean Water Business Partners visit www.keepchicoclean.org
June 2009 Top photo by Tim Milhorn (One Mile) Thumbnail by Larry Leigh (lady bugs)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Flag Day 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Father s Day/Summer Begins 28 29 30 Watershed-friendly Gardening Limit the amount of fertilizer you use on your lawn or garden, and apply in the fall only. Do not apply fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides when rain is forecast. Whenever possible, use only organic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM), rather than pesticides. (Find out about IPM at www.ipm.ucdavis.edu). Don t rinse off lawn mower in the gutter. Do not blow, sweep, hose or rake leaves into the street, gutter or storm drain.
July 2009 Top photo by Larry Leigh (Little Chico Creek) Thumbnail by Larry Leigh (stormdrain marker)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 City Hall will be closed for business Independence Day 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Vehicle Maintenance Recycle used oil at auto parts stores. Wash your car on your lawn or at a car wash. Recycle old automobile batteries at auto parts stores or hazardous waste facilities. Use a funnel when pouring liquids (like motor oil or anti-freeze) and place a tray underneath the vehicle to catch spills. Maintain your car regularly to prevent auto fluid leaks.
August 2009 Top photo by Tony Sanders (Big Chico Creek) Thumbnail by Coby Walters
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Water Conservation Fresh water is a limited resource that should be wisely used and never wasted. Turn off your automatic irrigation controls during rainy months. Reduce watering time during dry months in late summer. Plant more trees and decrease your lawn size to help conserve water. Wash your car on your lawn to help keep pollutants from draining to the creeks and to water your lawn in the process. Replace the rubber washers between your faucet-to-hose connections, and hose-to-spray nozzle connections, once per year.
September 2009 Top photo by Larry Leigh (Sycamore Creek at end of Marigold Dr)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Labor Day 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rosh HaShanah Begins Creek Clean-up 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 First Day of Autumn 27 28 29 30 Yom Kippur Begins Stormwater & Construction Sites *City Holiday Examples of BMP s for sediment containment and filtration: Silt Fence, Hay Bales, Straw Wattles, Check Dams, Curb Inlet and Drain Filters, Berms and Sediment Ponds Tips for preventing pollution runoff from your construction site Use barriers around perimeter of site to capture water runoff before it reaches storm drain. Require all construction vehicles and equipment to use one designated entrance/exit. Install and maintain inlet protection devices on downstream storm drain inlets. (e.g. gravel bags, filters) When possible, schedule construction activity during dry season. (May-Sept.) Place stored chemicals in enclosure that can contain leaks and spills. (e.g. cabinet, shed)
October 2009 Top photo by Larry Leigh (Maple Tree along Butte Creek) Thumbnail by Larry Leigh (leaves on Big Chico Creek)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Columbus Day 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Halloween Mercury Waste It is illegal to place mercury containing products into the trash. Mercury is a highly toxic metal found in everyday items such as fluorescent light bulbs (including CFL bulbs), glass thermometers, watch batteries and older light switches. Items containing mercury, including CFL household light bulbs, must be disposed of at a local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection center (contact information printed on back of calendar). To learn more about the environmental hazards of mercury visit www.epa.gov/mercury or www.earth911.org/mercury.
November 2009 Top photo by Jan Austin (Big Chico Creek) Thumbnail by Tim Milhorn (One Mile Dam)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Daylight Savings Time Ends 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Veteran s Day Bidwell Park Volunteer Day 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Thanksgiving Day After Thanksgiving 29 30 Compost and recycle green waste *City Holiday Keep leaves, grass clippings and other vegetative waste out of our gutters and storm drains. Never dump vegetative waste in our creeks for prevention of harmful nutrient loading, which kills off native aquatic wildlife. Recycle all of your green waste by placing it in your green waste garbage can, or take it to the North Valley Organic Waste facility (see back of calendar) Start composting your food and yard waste into soil amendments for your garden and houseplants. Allow a layer of fallen leaves to remain on areas of un-planted soil in order to block out sunlight and prevent the growth of weeds. Learn more about composting - visit www.aschico.com/recycle or www.epa.gov/compost
December 2009 Top photo by Larry Leigh (Sycamore Creek at Cohasset Rd) Thumbnail by Timmarie Hamill
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Hanukkah Begins 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 First Day of Winter Christmas Eve Christmas Day 27 28 29 30 31 New Year s Eve Recycle your E-Waste *City Holiday E-Waste refers to electronic products such as computers, cell phones, TVs, stereos, VCRs and DVD players that are at the end of their useful life. E-Waste products contain toxic substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and lithium. If not properly disposed of, the hazardous wastes from these products can leach into our ground water and local waterways. E-Waste should be refurbished, if possible, or taken to a facility or business in which it can be recycled or disposed of properly. Visit www.recyclebutte.net/ewaste.html for locations.
2009 Chico Clean Creeks Calendar This calendar was designed and coordinated through a collaborative effort between the City of Chico s Storm Water Management Program, Jennifer Oman Communications, StormWaterOutreach.com, and Clean Water Business Partner - Andy Willhoit. Keep Chico Clean For a current directory of Clean Water Business Partners, visit.www.keepchicoclean.org CARPET CLEANERS Chico Carpet Cleaning: 891-3636 Clean King by DeHart: 345-9907 Dean s Upholstery and Carpet Care: 345-0832 ServiceMaster Select: 342-7976 SJS Carpet Cleaning: 898-0101 Sunrise Carpet Cleaners: 891-4113 LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS East Meets West Landscaping & Gardening 345-6304 Gaia Creations Ecological Landscaping: 384-2012 Ewing Irrigation: 894-5900 Greenscape: www.greenscapecare.com 588-4794 KCL Custom Landscapes: 896-1211 Lawns-R-Us-: 893-4450 Leslie Corsbie/Performance Design & Landscape: 879-0999 Lifescapes, www.lifescapes.us, 894-5433 Performance Design & Landscape: 879-0999 Sierra Landscape & Maintenance Inc.: 895-0263 GENERAL CONTRACTORS Home-Prep: 897-0274 www.chicoremodel.com PAINTING CONTRACTORS Casey Swaim: 898-8217 NURSERIES Floral Native Nursery: 892-2511 Geffray s Gardens: 345-2849 Native Springs Nursery: www.nativespringsnursery.com/ 514-8578 Spring Fever Nursery & Gardens: 534-1556 ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHY This calendar features local photography from local artists. Enjoy the beauty of your great city that we all love, while learning helpful tips to keep our creeks clean. Resources CLEAN WATER BUSINESS PARTNERS For a list of businesses visit www.keepchicoclean.org ALTERNATIVE CLEANING RECEIPES www.safespray.com www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/cleaning.html www.ourwaterourworld.org WASTE DISPOSAL, REUSE & RECYCLING Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 1101 Marauder St. Chico, Call 1-866-HAZCATT, www.norcalwastesystemsofbuttecounty.com/residentialchicohazardouswaste.htm (Paints, solvents, household and garden chemicals.etc.) North Valley Organic Recycling, Cohasset Rd., Chico 624-3529 (unpainted/untreated lumber, plant, shrub and tree trimmings, grass clippings and leaves). Open Tues-Sat 8-4pm. Butte County Landfill 538-7681 Habitat for Humanity of Chico (The Re-Store), 2288 Park Ave, Chico 895-1271 www.freecycle.org www.recyclebutte.net WATERSHED EDUCATION Butte Environmental Council 891-6424 www.becnet.org Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance BigChicoCreek.org To help homeowners understand best practices for our creeks, visit www.cwp/community_watersheds/educating_constituents.html CREEK WATCH HOT LINE Call 891-6459 to report illicit dumping into the city s storm drains or creeks. Hot line hosted by the Butte Environmental Council and funded by the City of Chico. CITY OF CHICO STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM To report storm drain backups or missing manhole and storm drain grates, please call 894-4220 immediately, For sewer or storm drain emergencies after 3:30 P.M., on weekends, or on holidays call 897-4911. BUTTE COUNTY Butte County Dept. Public Works, Stormwater Program 538-7266 ext. 209 Butte County Water and Resource Conservation www.buttecounty.net/waterandresource/ Butte County Public Works Department, Solid Waste and Recycling Division 538-7681, www.team.recycle.com VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance If you would like to join the Big Chico Creek Stream Team or school - based Youth Stream Team please contact: Timmarie Hamill at thamill@bigchicocreek.org or (530) 342-6620 Friends of Bidwell Park, www.friendsofbidwellpark.org ECO - FRIENDLY GARDENING, YARD LANDSCAPING AND PEST CONTROL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION: California Native Plant Society, www.cnps.org Integrated Pest Managment www.jpm.ucdavis.edu