Clark County Organizations Offer Assistance to Clean Up Rivers: Virtual Open House July 14
Information provided by Grace DeMeo, Community Outreach Coordinator, Clark Conservation District
Can you remember the first time you saw a river? Was it awe-inspiring? Frightening? Fun?
Connections with waterways begin very young in children and form lifelong memories. Unfortunately, opportunities to connect with those waterways in Clark County are beginning to disappear thanks to an unlikely contaminant- poop! Local scientists have discovered fecal contaminants in several Clark County rivers and used DNA analysis to trace it back to three main sources: livestock, dogs and humans.
“To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it. ”
It may not be a surprise to Clark County residents that there is poop in their waterways. Many favorite watering holes like Battle Ground Lake State Park have received health warnings from Clark County Public Health due to high concentrations of E. coli bacteria in the past 3 years. E. coli bacteria cause all sorts of gastrointestinal problems if swallowed, and come from, you guessed it… poop! With the number of E. coli warnings increasing, the number of places where kids can safely experience the fresh waters of Washington is dwindling.
To combat this rise of fecal frustration, the new Poop Smart Clark program, composed of local, state and federal groups, is providing technical and financial assistance to community members to get this mess cleaned up. That means everything from reimbursing people for repairing leaky septic systems to helping farmers reduce pasture mud. You might see Poop Smart Clark tabling at La Center’s Farmer’s Market or even visiting properties personally to extend an offer of aid. It is a determined collection of people who all want the same thing: healthy rivers.
Making sure kids have access to clean waterways is a group effort. Learn more about Poop Smart Clark and how you can get involved at an Open House on July 14th, 6-7PM. There will be presentations from local organizations and time for questions so you can pinpoint exactly how to receive assistance from the Poop Smart Clark program. Register for the open house here and ensure that we have memories of rivers for generations to come.
