We all live in a watershed. the land through which water flows and drains to a body of water

The continental divide in the Rockies separates the U.S. into two watersheds one drains to the Atlantic Ocean and the other to the Pacific Ocean Within those large watersheds there are lots of smaller watersheds like the Chesapeake Bay watershed which encompasses parts of six states and D.C. Baltimore City watersheds: Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls, Herring Run, and Direct Harbor All of these watersheds eventually drain to the Chesapeake Bay!

The health of watersheds, the people living in them, and the water are all connected.

The Chesapeake Bay is POLLUTED.

Urban watersheds, like ours, require more care because they have: more people (more garbage, more cars) more pavement (fewer green spaces to filter pollutants) more problems (flooding, dumping, vacant lots, neglected infrastructure/pipes, pollution)

Under the streets of Baltimore there is a THREE pipe system for: drinking water wastewater and stormwater.

trash, oil, pet waste, fertilizers, When it rains, stormwater runoff carries whatever is on the street: pesticides, chemicals, sediment to the storm drain inlets down the stormwater pipes  to outfalls in the harbor and Chesapeake Bay.

In Baltimore we have: 50,000 storm drain inlets leading to 1,000 miles of storm drains to more than 350 outfalls in the harbor and Chesapeake Bay

Our streets are our streams, SO WHAT CAN WE DO? Clean up the streets Put a lid on your trash can so the trash does not blow into the street/streams Clean out the storm drains on your block Pick up after your pet Avoid using fertilizer and pesticides Plant trees and gardens Adopt and maintain a vacant lot Call 311 to alert the City of dumping, flooding, sewer overflows, and street collapses in your area Spread the word, gather your neighbors, join the Clean Water Community!

Stenciling Tips for Best Practices

Site selection and Planning 1. Scout your drains.  Print out a map of your neighborhood. Walk and mark the drains you plan to stencil on your map.  Choose drains with sidewalks that are smooth and in good condition. If you find drains that are broken, crumbling or clogged, call 311 to notify the City.  Look at the sidewalk around the drain. Is it light or dark? Is there a manhole cover above the drain? Is there enough space to center the stencil over the drain?  Take one or two pictures of the most common type of drain that you plan to paint. Do not paint directly on cracks or manhole covers.  You can only paint on the sidewalk, not the street. Car tires wear the paint away and painting on the street without proper permitting is illegal. 2. Recruit volunteers. Who is helping you? You will need people to: watch for traffic, talk to people passing by, help secure the stencil, spray paint, and take photos. Ideal group size is 3-6 people. 3. Get your supplies. Get all your materials together in advance. You will need:  Broom/wire-haired brush  Spray Paint - Rustoleum Ultra Cover 2x for indoor/outdoor use. This is the recommended product, it lasts long and looks good. Choose a color that will stand out on the pavement (if your sidewalks are light, choose a dark paint color; if they are dark, choose a light paint color).  Stencils, tape, “wet paint” signs, rag/towel, traffic cones, materials to give passers-by, camera

Site preparation/Day Of 1. Train your volunteers. Go over stormwater 101 and stenciling best practices. 2. Prepare the drain. Remove dust and debris with wire brush  Brush rigorously to clear the area; if you paint the dust, it washes away.  Remove plants growing in the cracks that will interfere with the stencil or paint. 3. Get the right stencil layout. Center it over the mouth of the drain, and parallel to the curb. Be sure that there is NO TEXT on the manhole cover. The City lifts manhole covers regularly, and they will not put it back in the same orientation as it started. 4. Tape the corners of the stencil to the sidewalk to hold it in place.

Spray Painting 1. Check your surroundings. Be sure there are no cars parked too close. Spray paint blows in the wind! If there is a breeze, use a towel to block the spray from blowing onto nearby vehicles/objects. 2. Hold spray paint can 4-8” from surface and move arm in sweeping motion (side to side) while spraying, regardless of the shape of images in the stencil. To prevent puddles, keep sweeping, never stopping. 3. Stop spraying to check from all angles that you have an even coat, and all openings in the stencil were painted. 4. Important: do not add too much paint! You can always add more but you can’t take it away. 5. Feel free to mix up colors among words but I don’t recommend alternating colors for each letter – tends to make puddles and makes the message hard to read.

After painting 1. Carefully lift stencil without smearing paint. Remember that the stencil is wet. 2. Tape “wet paint” sign (printed in largest font Word will allow) next to stenciled drain. 3. Wait at least 30 minutes before retrieving “wet paint” signs to reuse on future drains.