Stormwater Smart
- Follow directions on pesticides and fertilizers, (measure, do not estimate amounts) and do not use if rain is predicted within 48 hours.
- Water your lawn and garden by hand to control the amount of water you use.
- Set irrigation systems to reflect seasonal water needs. If water flows off your yard and onto your driveway or sidewalk, your system is over-watering.
- Mulch grass clippings or leave them on the lawn. If necessary, dispose in a green waste container.
- Prevent urban runoff by taking your car to a commercial car wash whenever possible.
- When cleaning around the house choose soaps, cleaners, or detergents labeled “non-toxic,” “phosphate free” or “biodegradable.”
- When cleaning your car, shake floor mats into a trash can or vacuum to clean.
- Take your vehicle to a commercial carwash where the washwater is recycled and sent to the sanitation district.
- Use a nozzle to turn off water when not actively washing down your car.
- Monitor vehicles for leaks and place pans under leaks. Keep your car well maintained to stop and prevent leaks.
- Use cat litter or other absorbents and sweep to remove liquids left by vehicles or any other kind of outdoor “wet spill.”
- Perform automobile repair and maintenance under a covered area and use drip pans or plastic sheeting to keep spills and waste material from reaching storm drains.
- Never pour oil or antifreeze in the street, gutter or storm drains. Recycle these substances at a service station or used oil recycling center.
- Store household hazardous waste (HHW) in closed, labeled containers inside or under a cover and dispose of them at an HHW collection center.
- Do not hose down your driveway, sidewalk or patio. Sweep up debris and dispose of it in the trash.
- Always pick up after your pet. Flush waste down the toilet or dispose of it in the trash.
- Bathe pets indoors or have them professionally groomed.
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is the geographic area draining into a river system, ocean or other body of water through a single outlet and includes the receiving waters. Watersheds are usually bordered and/or separated from other watersheds by mountain ridges or other naturally elevated areas. In other words, all of the land in Orange County drains to a body of water that ultimately leads to the Pacific Ocean by traveling through the watershed. Another way to look at it is if you were to cup your hands and someone poured water on your palms, the water would all run to the point where your hands meet – this point simulates a river or creek and your palms the land of a watershed.
The land that drains into the watersheds of Orange County also includes pollutants like litter, cigarette butts, fertilizer, pesticides, pet waste, motor oil or lawn clippings. All of these types of pollution can be picked up by stormwater or runoff from sprinklers and hoses and carried into streams, rivers or channels and swept out to the Pacific Ocean.
In Orange County, there are 11 watersheds. We’ve provided a page with more information on each watershed and a map to help you determine in which watershed you live. The County is divided into three Watershed Management Areas help focus water quality and restoration efforts on the watershed scale. Watershed Managers and stormwater experts throughout the County work together to prevent water pollution and restore aquatic resources.
Regulations protecting water quality in California are primarily National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for stormwater and runoff and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for specific pollutants. For more information, please visit our pages on the NPDES program and TMDLs.
Remember – The Ocean Begins At Your Front Door. No matter where you live, you live in a watershed!
What is a Watershed?
“Watershed” may sound like a small building with water in it, but it’s not!
Watershed Brochure
