March 2006 Watershed Highlight of the Month

Contra Costa Public Works Department’s Watershed Program’s First Calendar

California Watershed Network (CWN) is delighted to announce our second Watershed Highlight of the Month. First brought to our attention by a resident of Discovery Bay, CA, the Contra Costa Public Works Department’s Watershed Program’s first calendar is our highlight of the month.

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department Watershed Program’s (CWP) first watershed calendar produced in 2005 was born out of the challenge to meet public education and outreach requirements of our National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit under the Federal Clean Water Act in the face of a stretched budget, limited staff and stringent State educational mandates. We needed to find an innovative and cost effective approach to educating County residents on watershed stewardship and stormwater pollution prevention issues.

The Watershed Calendar fits the bill. It incorporates all of our main watershed and urban stormwater messages while promoting watershed stewardship. Each month features an environmental message targeting a specific watershed concern, simple ways to correct behaviors that pollute our waterways, and resources to learn more about each theme. The days of the month feature special events and scheduled watershed stewardship meetings; information provided by stakeholders such as local watershed stewardship groups, environmentally charged non-profits, and utilities. Beautiful photographs of the County, donated by local photographers, are to inspire residents to protect and improve our watersheds.


Download the calendaroutside
and inside covers (PDF)

Calendars were mailed to all single-family residential households and post office boxes in rural areas of unincorporated Contra Costa County. They were also distributed to members of watershed stewardship groups, contributing agencies and individuals, and made available in the reception area of the Public Works Department.

The 2005 and 2006 calendars have been met with a great deal of enthusiasm from our residents for their high quality, beautiful photographs and educational value. The 2005 calendar won several awards for its innovation and quality. The only complaints we’ve encountered have been that it looks like an expensive item. The beauty of it is that the combination of generous photographers, talented graphic designers and bulk mail rates has given us an incredible amount of bang for our buck. We are so pleased with the results of this project that we are already planning the 2007 calendar.

Ronnie Levin – Project Manager
Contra Costa County Public Works Dept.
Watershed Program
255 Glacier Dr.
Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 313-2281
rlevi@pw.cccounty.us

Find us on Facebook