USU Natural Resources Student Council Leads Storm Drain Awareness
USU Quinney College of Natural Resources Student Council members Patrick Adams and Molly Van Engelenhoven display a stencil reading 'No Dumping. Drains to River,' they and fellow council members painted the image near storm drains throughout campus.
Glance down as you walk around the Utah State University campus and you’re likely to see bright, Aggie Blue reminders that everything we dump down storm drains is likely to end up in the Logan River, Cutler Marsh and, eventually, the Bear River and Great Salt Lake.
“This whole project got started when a USU employee expressed concern to the USU Water Quality Extension office about pollutants being dumped into campus storm drains,” says Arthur Wallis, a Quinney College of Natural Resources student council member and Utah Conservation Corps intern employed in the Extension office. “At our very next staff meeting, USU Water Quality Extension leader Nancy Mesner and I started talking about ways to raise awareness about an issue many give little thought.”
In their discussions, the team noted the university, in addition to thousands of students, faculty and staff who visit the Logan campus each day, welcomes thousands of visitors for tours, conferences and events.
“We’d heard of awareness campaigns in other communities, where people painted stenciled reminders next to storm drains and thought it would be a good, inexpensive and unobtrusive way to build awareness,” Wallis says.
The undergraduate contacted USU Facilities water quality engineer Jamie Pearce, who granted permission for the project and provided Wallis with a map of campus storm drains. USU Water Quality Extension funded the project supplies.
Stencils and paint in hand, the USU Quinney College of Natural Resources Student Council covered the campus Oct. 10, tracking down storm drains and painting a circular logo emblazoned with a fish, waves and the message, “No Dumping. Drains to River.”
“Basically, the only thing that should go down our storm drains is rain,” says QCNR student council member Molly Van Engelenhoven. “Even things we think are harmless, like grass clippings, can cause clogging of our drainage systems.”
Van Engelenhoven says she wishes the council had the resources to label storm drains throughout Cache Valley, but acknowledges the campus campaign is a start.
“The biggest value from a project like this is building awareness,” Wallis says. “We hope it provides an opportunity for people to learn something they might not have known before and they’ll take this knowledge beyond campus. It gives us an avenue to share the message that what you do with your lawn, your car and your pets can influence water quality for many miles downstream.”
Related links:
- USU Water Quality Extension
- USU Department of Watershed Sciences
- USU Quinney College of Natural Resources
Contact: Arthur Wallis, acewallis@gmail.com
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517, maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu
'We all live downstream.' On Oct. 10, USU Quinney College of Natural Resources Student Council members paint a reminder near a campus storm drain to prevent dumping of harmful substances that will travel to local rivers.
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