Why Water? Water is fundamental to life. It flows throughout our State, our community, and within each of us. IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

We Rely on Clean Waterways For safe and healthy drinking water…  Habitat for fish, bugs, mussels and other wildlife  Recreation-- fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, and swimming IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

Roughly 2/3 rds of the pollution in our water ways can be attributed to storm water runoff. Storm Water Pollution Storm water runoff threatens the water quality of both urban and rural water ways IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

State of Ohio’s Water Ways By the Numbers Only 39 % of public water sources were evaluated between % of fish in major water ways are unsafe for consumption. 66 % of sites where people are most likely to swim are not meeting the recreational use standard. In 2010 only 60% of Ohio’s streams tested as capable of supporting aquatic species falling short of the “80% in 2010” goal 25 public Lakes were closed to human contact IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

What is the Clean Water Campaign? Protecting Our Water at The Source Advocacy Awareness Action IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

Clean Water Campaign “Taking Action” River Clean Ups Ecological Restoration Water Testing IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

River Clean Up’s Trash too often ends up in our Rivers and Streams Over 200 hundred volunteers spent 500 hundred cleaning up our water ways in Tons of Trash Some items included; tires, bottles, carpeting, Styrofoam, clothing, more bottles, glass, electronics, batteries, scrap metal, and more bottles. IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

Ecological Restoration Wetlands, Rain gardens, and riparian buffers help control storm water pollution. In 2010, hundreds of volunteers cleared invasive species, restored wetlands and stream corridors, and built rain gardens. IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

Water Testing Events What’s in the Water? Citizen Science can be used to guide policy and inform law makers Dissolved Oxygen PH Turbidity IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

Raising Awareness Educational Workshops Movie Nights, Lectures, and tabling events IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

Backyard Conservation Series IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms What can you do in your own backyard to help protect our water? Rain barrels Rain Gardens Composting Organic Gardening Know your Watershed Native Plants Land Conservation

Advocacy Speaking Out for Clean Water IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms Tabling Events Public Hearings Collecting Petitions Legislative Lobbying Public Comments Watch Dogging

Issues in 2011 IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms Great Lakes Compact -collected 850 comments -requires legislative action Nutrient pollution -Collected 1,500 postcards -Numeric Nutrient Standard -ODNR draft language Combined Sewer Consent Orders -Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron

Clean Water Campaign Programs Water Committee -Monthly Water Calls -Programming planning and implementation Generous Support from Aveda -April is Earth Month -Last year we raised close to $100,000 IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms

Water Testing IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms The Clean Water Campaign has 35 water testing and hopes to expand in 2011 Coordinating with groups and community stakeholder across the State Developing Partnership with OEPA

Clean Water Fellowship Program IntroductionActionAwarenessAdvocacyPrograms Addresses local water quality issues Fellows learn to take action, raise awareness and advocate for clean water. foster connections between local Sierra Club groups and the State Chapter Goals of Program Train future environmental leaders Visit Ohio Sierra Club’s Clean Water Program Page

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