Here's what you can do to protect our coastal watersheds and estuaries, our priceless resources:

At Home:

Estuaries

10 Ways to Protect Estuaries

• Conserve water in your daily life.
  • Install water-saving toilets and showerheads.
  • Replace dripping faucets and leaky pipes.
• Dispose of household and yard chemicals properly; follow disposal directions on their labels.
• Don't be wasteful: reduce, re-use and recycle every day.
• Pick up trash; participate in trash clean-up days.
• Cut up the rings of plastic six-pack holders so that aquatic life and birds cannot become entangled in them.
• Respect your sewer system: don't pour toxic wastes, chemicals or any medications down the toilet.

In Your Garage and Yard:

 

• Maintain your cars and other heavy equipment to reduce oil leaks.
• Minimize use of fertilizers and pesticides on your yard.
• Water your lawn conservatively and keep grass clippings out of street gutters.
• Have your septic system inspected to make sure it is operating properly.
• Avoid pouring fats, grease or solids down the drain.
• Build a rain garden in your yard or install rain barrels.

On the Water:

Building Artificial Reef Balls
Photo Credit: Nancy Laurson

• Don't dump your trash overboard; dispose of properly and recycle.
• Maintain your boats to reduce oil leaks.
• Keep your boat or motorized watercraft out of sensitive areas like seagrass beds.
• Install and maintain marine sanitation devices on your boat.
• Use designated pumpout stations.
• When visiting coral reefs, do not touch living coral.

In Your Community:

 

• Volunteer with your local environmental organizations.
• Pick up trash; participate in trash clean-up days.
• Help plant trees or seagrass, or remove invasive vegetation.
• Don't litter: streets and storm drains empty into rivers and streams that drain into our estuaries.
• Pick up your pet's waste.
• Do not dump petroleum products, including oil, down storm drains; recycle used motor oil.
• Remember gutters and storm drains deliver water and contaminants to streams, rivers and eventually the ocean.

When Shopping:

• Use reusable bags rather than paper or plastic ones.
• Choose non-toxic products for household use.
• Choose products carefully: avoid excess packaging.