Author: Ogeechee Riverkeeper

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How you can help ORK right now

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper March 19, 2020

It is a strange, unsettling time. Each day is filled with uncertainty and it can leave us feeling like we don’t know what to do. There are ways you can help Ogeechee Riverkeeper, the environment and yourself right now. Here’s how:

Take a walk

Bearing in mind all the guidelines for social distancing and other health limitations, getting outside is highly recommended. Find a place to walk and get moving. It could be a trail in a state park or simply around your neighborhood. Take notice of the trees and plants along your route. Listen. Take in the scents of spring. We know it anecdotally, and it’s been proven scientifically – being in nature is good for your health and mental wellbeing.

If you are able, take a bag with you and pick up any litter you may find. You’ll feel better knowing you made a difference.

Donate

We know there is a lot of uncertainty now. The same is true for all nonprofits.

Ogeechee Riverkeeper is still doing its important work of keeping water clean, even if we can’t be in the office right now. Giving to Ogeechee Riverkeeper ensures we can keep monitoring, keep testing, and keep fighting for months and years to come.

Make a monthly, recurring donation
Make a single donation
Become an annual member

Adopt-A-Drain

The City of Savannah has launched a coordinated effort to make sure storm drains a clear of leaves, debris, and litter. Anyone can adopt a drain to keep an eye on and it’s a great project to do with kids and helps them understand how storm water affects street flooding and water pollution. Plus, there’s an interactive app they can use to enter information and updates on the drain. The map even allows you to choose a location that drains into the Ogeechee River.

But even if your area doesn’t have a dedicated program, you can still take responsibility for a drain near your home. If you find it’s not clear or needs maintenance, contact your municipal authority.

Share

One of the great things about social media is the ability to stay connected, even if we have to stay apart. While you are out on your walk, anywhere in our watershed, take a photo of something inspiring that you see and use hashtag #ORKoutside. We will share as many as we can on our social media channels.

Be safe. Be well. Enjoy nature. Take care.

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Rain Gardens

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper March 3, 2020

Take a look outside next time it’s raining. Is there a spot in your yard where water always puddles? Do you have trouble with water gathering around your foundation? Luckily, a rain garden is an easy and attractive way to handle the issue, and it has the added benefit of helping the environment.

Rain gardens also keep rainwater runoff out of the streets and storm drains, which reduces pollution and roadway flooding. Gardens and soil act as a slow filter for the rainwater, preventing sediment, chemicals, nutrients and more from washing into storm drains and out into the environment.

Additionally, by helping the rain water drain through soil instead of pooling up, you will be reducing mosquito breeding grounds. Mosquitoes need standing water and at least 7-10 days to breed. Rain gardens can drain the area in 24-48 hours.

Ready to create a rain garden? Identify a low point in the landscape. Consider the conditions that the plants will be in. Is it shady most of the day? Or will it get full sun?

Do an inspection of areas where water normally runs off. This could be around gutter downspouts, eaves, or porch overhangs. Trace where water goes from there. If it is collecting in a puddle and not draining away, consider creating a trench to direct the water to your rain garden. Some people choose to bury a pipe from the bottom of a downspout directly to their rain garden.

Excavate the low area that will be your rain garden so that the lowest point is about 6” deep. Your rain garden can be as large or small as you want, but make sure it is at least 10 feet away from your home or building.

Find native flowers and grasses that will tolerate “wet feet” and will flourish in the sun/shade conditions of the garden. Local nurseries or extensions can assist in identifying native plants that will thrive.

After planting flowers and grasses, consider adding river rock or gravel as a top layer to keep soil in place. You can also edge the rain garden with bricks or pavers for a more formal look.

Additional Resources

UGA Extension Services – Rain garden information

Georgia Environmental Protection Division – Coastal Stormwater Supplement

 

Blog Post, Press Releases

Ogeechee Riverkeeper partners with Georgia Environmental Protection Division and Milliken & Company to offer live streaming water quality data

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper May 22, 2019

For Immediate Release

SAVANNAH, GA – May 21, 2019 – Ogeechee Riverkeeper is pleased to announce a collaborative partnership with Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and Milliken & Company.

As part of Ogeechee Riverkeeper’s ongoing efforts to establish a robust water quality monitoring program in the basin, Georgia EPD has agreed to provide two continuous water quality monitoring stations on the Ogeechee River, one upstream and the other downstream from the Milliken & Company Longleaf Plant’s discharge pipe in Screven County.

Ogeechee Riverkeeper will be responsible for maintenance and data collection, and will share the data with the public on the organization’s website. To ensure its operations do not negatively impact the health of the river, Milliken & Company will sponsor the maintenance costs of these stations. The two stations will collect pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature and conductivity data every 15 minutes and update the website.

“This is a great opportunity to show the public that an advocacy group, a regulatory agency and industry can work together to ensure that our water resources are used wisely and protected for future generations,” says Damon Mullis, Ogeechee Riverkeeper.

The ongoing, live monitoring will present new educational and engagement opportunities for the public and provide data for researchers working on the river.

“Environmental stewardship is a core value of Milliken & Company in both our products and manufacturing processes,” shared Jeff Price, president of Milliken’s Performance and Protective Textiles division. “We look forward to continued collaboration with the Georgia EPD and Ogeechee Riverkeeper for transparent methods to protect the health of the Ogeechee River.”

For more information on the stations and for future data monitoring, visit www.ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper

Ogeechee Riverkeeper, licensed by the Waterkeeper Alliance, works throughout the five-thousand square mile watershed to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin.

Contacts

Ogeechee Riverkeeper
Damon Mullis, Riverkeeper & Executive Director
PO Box 16206
Savannah, GA 31416
Ph. 866-942-6222
damon@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

Milliken & Company
Mollie Williams
mollie@mwilliamsg.com
Ph. 864-419-6204

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