When it Comes to Chemicals, Change is a Good Thing
Why change your chemical habits?
Your actions with fertilizers, pesticides, cleaners, vehicle fluids and other household chemicals directly affect the health of the water quality in the Rouge River watershed - which impacts you, everyone around you, wildlife and their habitat, and even the communities downstream.
A watershed, also referred to as a drainage basin, is the land area that delivers rain & snow/ice melt to a stream or lake. Everyone who lives in Michigan, lives in a watershed!
When rain and snow/ice melt travel across the land (watershed) and through storm drains, it is called stormwater or runoff. As this runoff travels it picks up trash, animal waste, chemicals, sediments and dissolved substances along the way until it discharges into the nearest water body. Small streams join to form rivers and flow across sloping land, eventually flowing into a lake. These bodies of water impacted by runoff provide recreational opportunities, habitat for wildlife, and even drinking water for communities. By using chemical alternatives, properly using chemicals and disposing of chemicals correctly you are protecting not only the health of our watershed but also ourselves and everything downstream.
Household Hazardous Waste collection event information
Wayne County: http://bit.ly/ARC-WCHHW Macomb County: http://bit.ly/ARC-MCHHW Oakland County: http://bit.ly/ARC-OCHHW St. Clair County: http://bit.ly/ARC-SCHHW Washtenaw County: http://bit.ly/ARC-WashCHHW DEA PrescriptionTake-back: http://bit.ly/ARC-DEA
Alliance of Rouge Communities
The Alliance of Rouge Communities, or ARC, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization consisting of local municipalities, counties, educational institutions and stewardship groups working together to improve the Rouge River. Founded in 2005, the ARC is funded by membership dues from local governments and supported by grants. The ARC and its partners work cooperatively to protect the
Rouge River while meeting water quality requirements mandated by the state’s storm water permit and restoring beneficial uses, such as canoeing, fishing and other recreational activities, to the Rouge River. The ARC delivers better water quality for less cost to its members!
Visit our website at www.allianceofrougecommunities.com to learn other ways you can make a difference in the water quality of the Rouge River by practicing healthy habits like:
Recognizing illegal dumping & how to report it
Maintaining your septic system
Properly disposing of fats, oils & grease (FOG)
Landscaping with native trees & plants
Properly cleaning your boat to stop invasive species Volunteering in your community