Center For Watershed Protection- 2016 Annual Report

We live in a world of rapid development and constantly changing landscapes. When our natural lands are replaced by roads, buildings, parking lots and lawns, rain does not soak easily into the ground and is carried swiftly to nearby streams and rivers. As a result, increasing amounts of polluted runoff – rainwater soaked with a toxic stew of pollutants such as pet waste, motor oil, trash, fertilizers and pesticides – are contaminating our local streams, creeks and rivers. We all suffer the consequences from dirty water. Excess runoff not only contributes to increased erosion and flooding, but the pollutants carried in it also threaten animals and aquatic life, as well as public health – triggering beach closings, swimming restrictions and advisories against harvesting or eating fish. Moreover, pollution puts our drinking water sources at risk. For far too long, we ignored the effects that our activities on land have on our waterways. Our polluted runoff problem is actually getting worse – in fact, in many places across the country, it is the only source of pollution that is increasing. A growing population with increasing levels of development and urban and suburban sprawl, compounded with an aging infrastructure system that leads to leaky sewer lines and failing septic systems, all degrade our natural resources and contribute to the escalating threats facing our land and water sources. We all need clean and healthy waterways to sustain us – now is the time to get a handle on our pollution problem and enable our watersheds to thrive. Enter the Center for Watershed Protection, whose mission is to protect and restore our streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and bays from the impacts of land use activities. The Center is a national leader in advancing science-based solutions to prevent pollution in our waterways. We envision a world where every community has clean water and healthy natural resources to sustain diverse life.