Participation

Our First Rain Garden March 2012

James Bess, with Boy Scout Troop 731, worked with the Village of Clemmons Stormwater Department in creating a rain garden at the corner of Stadium Drive and Ridgecrest Drive. The purpose of the rain garden is to take advantage of rainwater runoff from different types of surfaces and slow down the runoff so it can be absorbed into the ground watering the native plants instead of flowing down storm drains which can cause erosion, flooding and/or water pollution. With stormwater runoff being considered one of the main sources of water pollution, rain gardens are used to help filter the water and help reduce potential water quality problems elsewhere. Besides helping different stormwater practices, rain gardens can also increase the number and diversity of birds and butterflies for people to enjoy as they walk by.

Help curb pollution in Clemmons! Volunteers needed to mark storm drains in neighborhoods.

Mission

The Village of Clemmons' storm drain marking program is a way for volunteers to get involved in improving the water quality of the village's streams and lakes. Markers are placed on storm drains to remind citizens to not dump pollutants into the drains. Informational door hangers will be distributed to nearby residents during the storm drain marking event.

It is a common misunderstanding that stormwater is treated before it reaches our waterways. Many residents pour oil, paint, cigarette butts, yard waste, and other pollutants right into the storm drains because they think the water gets cleaned before it reaches the Yadkin River. That is not how it works and stormwater pollution can seriously impact water quality in Clemmons.

Volunteer Groups

• All volunteers should be at least 10 years of age and will be supervised by one or more adults (21 years or older).
• All volunteers will be required to sign a liability waiver prior to the event. Participants under the age of 18 will need to have their parents sign the waiver.
• Groups will be divided into teams of two to five members.
• All markers will be placed within the public rights of way and not on private property.
• All storm drain marking supplies will be furnished by the Village of Clemmons.

If you have a group and are interested in participating in our Storm Drain Marking Program, call 336-766-9170 for more details.

Eagle Scout Drain Marking June 2014

Derik Papineau, with fellow scouts from Troop 731, marked storm drains in the Springfield Farm area over two Saturdays. They also placed informational door hangers on residents doors about the program. Using a GPS device, Derik plotted all the storm drains they came across so we have an updated GPS database of all the curbed streets that have a drain associated with them. Once this database is complete it will be a great help for future volunteers for storm drain marking.

Totals for two Saturdays work:

• 2 bags of trash collected
• 105 storm drains marked
• 143 storm drains were marked by GPS
• 324 door hangers distributed

Water is a vital - and finite - resource for all living creatures, including all of us in Forsyth County. Creek Week is designed to help residents "connect the dots" in recognizing that our quality of life depends on healthy creeks and streams. Learn more by visiting the Forsyth Creek Week website.