Palo Alto and its surroundings -- including the Baylands Nature Preserve -- are all part of the regional watershed. Whenever it rains, water flows through watersheds to low-lying areas. These low spots are where all "outdoor" water eventually ends up, whether it comes from rain, lawn watering, or car washing. Some water may enter creeks and streams before it completes its journey. But it may also make its way through unpaved areas like construction sites and fields, over sidewalks and streets, and through gutters and storm drains. No matter what parts of the watershed it passes through, all of Palo Alto's water shares a common destination: the San Francisco Bay and the adjacent salt marshes, which are the lowest points in the region.

Because the watershed encompasses such a large area, it is impossible to keep track of where all Palo Alto's water travels on its way to the bay. We do know that some of it passes through polluted commercial and industrial areas. However, much more of it goes through urban and residential areas, places most people think of as relatively contaminant-free. Unfortunately, such places are not always as clean as we think. Water can come into contact with hazardous chemicals and can pick up pieces of litter as it travels through many parts of the watershed, including our own backyards. Think about the places you've seen water flowing in the area. It drains from the pavement of service stations, parking lots, and city streets, and from the soil of nearby orchards, farms, and backyards. Sometimes it picks up spilled oil or gasoline or residues from cleaning chemicals at car washes; sometimes it picks up fertilizers, weed killers, and pesticides from farmlands and residential yards. Water can also transport pieces of paper and plastic, aluminum cans, glass bottles, and other litter from playgrounds, parks, and sidewalks. These materials stay with the water throughout the remainder of its journey, ultimately polluting the San Francisco Bay.

Such materials can be dangerous -- even life-threatening -- for wildlife, including that of the salt marsh. In fact, animals and plants living in the salt marsh are particularly vulnerable because they inhabit a low-lying area right next to the bay where pollutants from throughout the watershed are most highly concentrated. Vegetation in the marsh can be destroyed by common household weed killers. Plants can be covered in oil and prevented from getting the sunlight they need for food production. Birds, fish, and other animals can be harmed if they swallow pieces of plastic or metal. They can become ill or die after ingesting pesticides or petroleum products. Animals can become caught in and immobilized by oil, plastic bags, and other refuse. They can suffer skin irritation if they come into contact with many common household products -- paint thinner, antifreeze, drain cleaners, and the like. And if they are swallowed, such materials are often deadly.

There are many things we, members of the Palo Alto community, can do to protect wildlife from these harmful substances. At the most basic level, we have to keep such substances away from the flow of water through the watershed. We can help a lot if we follow a few simple rules:

• Limit use of potentially dangerous outdoor chemicals. If such products are necessary, use them sparingly and pay careful attention to the amount of chemicals being released into the environment.
• Dispose of harmful chemicals properly. If it isn't something we would want to eat, drink, or touch, animals and plants probably wouldn't either. Don't pour used motor oil, old paint, antifreeze, or any other "poisons" on the ground or into storm drains.
• Put your litter in trash cans. If you see litter that other people have left behind, pick it up and dispose of it properly.
• Share your knowledge with others. Since you know ways to protect wildlife in the watershed, you can tell your friends and neighbors.
• If we are aware of how our actions can affect all of the watershed's inhabitants (plants and animals alike) and if we work together, we can help ensure that the salt marsh -- and the rest of the watershed, too -- will remain pollutant-free.

http://www.smbay.org/40.htm

http://www.smbay.org/bmp/22.htm

http://www.smbay.org/human/63.htm

http://www.smbay.org/human/65.htm

http://www.smbay.org/human68.htm

http://www.smbay.org/ten.htm